UnEnding Journey
by CresentCrimzonMoon
Summary: *Sequel to Return to the Feudal Era* With the Jewel now in 4 pieces,1 of which is within Izayoi, the gang must find the remaing 3 before her time runs out, but will an unexpected death cause Izayoi to break and fall to her inner demon sooner?
1. Chapter 1: Bright Moon

**Crimzon: Woo! Time for the sequel!**

**Izayoi: Geez, it took you long enough!**

**Akira: Yeah! What the hell were you waiting for anyways?**

**Crimzon: -sniff,sniff- well, im sorry that I took so long but writer's block can be a b***h ok!**

**Izayoi: good job Akira.**

**Akira: eh, um sorry, I uh, didn't mean it …**

**Crimzon: … OKAY! Now um this sequel might be somewhat shorter than the previous one unless I make the chapters short and knowing me they might be (hey that rhymes ^.^) since I can get lazy … anyways please review and if you're into soul eater then check out my other fanfic so that way I'll hav a reason to continue it … THANKYOU EVERYONE FOR KEEPING UP WITH THIS FANFIC AND NOW ON WITH THE SHOW … er CHAPTER!**

**Izayoi: She doesn't own Inuyasha!**

**Crimzon: Oh and I aint gona do any of the recap shit so if ur just joining us in this journey, go read the prequel unless you like to be completely and utterly confused ^.^**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

It seems like forever since I was home back in the present, but it has only been a couple of weeks. I wonder how grandma is doing? What about Uncle Sota? He wasn't too happy about me coming here to begin with, but on the bright side, he was wrong about my father … well kind of. In the end, he wasn't such a bad guy after all, now if only he weren't so mysterious about where he is and when I'd see him again. I feel like he's keeping something from me and it just makes me feel more paranoid than I should be.

It's been a couple of days since I shattered the Jewel of Four Souls. Akria managed to salvage a piece of it to bring me back to life for the second time and all I have to do is find the other three pieces. From what I was able to gather from rumors around the village, one shard flew in the direction of the ocean so that's our first stop. On a whole other story though, I haven't spoken to either Akira or Shippo since the incident the other day. It was just so awkward that I was avoiding them as much as possible. I'd rather be fighting demons that go through love issues right now.

It was a little past midnight now and I was sitting up on a branch of a tree watching the clouds pass the moon in the night sky. The moon was full and bright. It was surrounded by thousands and thousands of stars. I swung my legs back and forth as I hummed a lullaby grandma would sing to me.

"We set out tomorrow, shouldn't you be asleep?" Akira's voice rang out in the silence and practically scared the crap out of me. I looked down to see him smiling that cocky smile of his that made my heart flutter … but at that same time, I wanted to slap him. I felt my face turn red as I remembered what I had said to him when he was possessed. I told him I loved him. I turned away, trying to hide the bright color of my face with my long hair. I heard him smirk and next thing I knew, he was sitting next to me on the branch.

"You know, we haven't talked since the incident." He was sitting so close to me that I could literally feel my heart trying to jump out of my chest. "Look, about that time when we met. I kissed you to seal the deal as your protector. I'm sorry if I confused you, but after spending this time with you and after hearing you're feeling for me, I have to be honest with you. Izayoi I …" I was afraid of what he'd say, so I interrupted him.

"I get it; you don't have to say it. You were only sent by Sesshomaru to help protect me and that's it. I understand that you don't have the same feelings so you don't have to say it." I felt tears falling and I was about to jump down from the tree when Akira's hand gripped my shoulder and pinned me to the tree so I had no choice but to look him in the eyes.

"Would you let me finish? Izayoi, I love you. You're strong and funny." He stopped to chuckle slightly to himself, "and I like the way you're face changes colors when you're embarrassed." He stopped again and his face turned serious, "and when I was possessed by that strange demon and I … I hurt you, I hated myself for it and I only wished that it was me who was hurt and not you. I'm so sorry." It hurt me to see him like this. He looked so ashamed that he looked away from me. I smiled softly and reached over to cup his face with both my hands.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault." I practically whispered as we inched closer. I kissed him and next thing I knew, he had his arms around me, completely closing the space between us. Another tear escaped my closed eyes and slid down my cheek. After a moment, he pulled me away and then just held me close to him as another cloud passed the moon and we were engulfed in shadow. I was hoping that this moment would never end, but sooner or later, something always had to end.

I kept looking back at that dream I had the other night, the one with me standing in front of someone's grave. It could have been anyone's but I was scared that it was going to be someone close to me.

**Crimzon: And well … that's it for now. I don't have much of an idea on how to continue so ima end this chapter here and I'll try my best to get off my lazy ass and add the next chapter. So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Izayoi: … um yeah, do what the lady said and review if you want to know who the hell is going to die.**

**Akira: -grins-**

**Rin: what's up with him?**

**Izayoi: -blushes and walks over to embarrassment corner-**

**Rin: Crimzon? Care to explain what I missed?**

**Crimzon: You'll find out next chapter so ….. REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2: Me or Him?

**Crimzon: Geez people, what do I have to do to get you guys to review? Do a strip show?**

**Izayoi: Sorry everyone, she's in one of her 'moods' again.**

**Akira: Yeah, she's in her angry mood.**

**Crimzon: DAMNIT! WHY CANT I USE A CHAINSAW TO DUST THE HOUSE!**

**Akira: Now Crimzon, you know that using a lethal weapon to clean is not a very smart idea.**

**Crimzon: NOW YOU'RE CALLING ME DUMB?**

**Izayoi: Oh lordy, alright then. Let's get down to the point. Crimzon DOES NOT OWN INUYASHA and please review before she gets a hold of her chainsaw –doorbell rings- now who could that be? –Door opens and men in white coats come in and drag away Crimzon-**

**Akira: SERIOUSLY? That's that fifth time this week!**

**Izayoi: at least she'll be calm when she breaks out again. Anyway REVIEW!**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

It seemed like time had stopped for the two of us. We just sat there in each other's arms as the gentle cool winds passed us by. We sat there in the light of the moon in complete silence until Akira began to talk.

"We should get back before the others start to get suspicious." He chuckled slightly at the thought as we both jumped down from the tree branch and made our way back to the village. We walked hand in hand along the dirt road as the night began to grow colder and I began to feel a little light headed. Was it because of the battle between my human and demon raging within me?

"You alright?" Akira must have felt the slight shaking of my hand. My breathing began to change as it became more and more difficult for me to take a breath. I looked up at him and nodded weakly. As fast as it came, it left. I started to feel like myself again.

"I'm okay now. You worry too much Akira." I looked back up at him and smiled. Then, I noticed that his face was inching closer to mine and we were about to kiss again when I heard someone else make their way towards us.

"Would you two mind getting a room? I find this rather revolting." Shippo's voice rang out in the silence. Shippo was standing not too far from us with a pissed off look on his face. Oh crap, this can't be good. "You know, I realized something watching you two just now. You're no different from Inuyasha."

"Shippo I-''

"Shut up Izayoi, let me finish. Inuyasha always had issues when it came to choosing between Kagome and Kikyo. You're no different."

"Shippo, what the hell are you talking about?" Akira practically yelled.

"Shut up! You should listen to this too. Izayoi, I can tell that you love Akira, but I know that deep down, you feel the same for me. I know you do so don't try to deny it. That night, when I kissed you, you didn't pull back and I know you felt something, it's obvious." He stopped to take a breath. Somehow I felt like he had a point. When he kissed me, I did feel something, something I couldn't explain. Could he be right? "It's time for you to make a decision Izayoi, me or him?"

"Shippo, do you think now is the best time to be asking this?" Akira said. He probably noticed me shaking beside him. Damn, this was absolutely the worst time for me to be feeling sick again.

"Yo, Izayoi. Faking sick is not going to get you out of answering this question." He walked over with his arms crossed. At this point, I wasn't able to talk. I had this horrible pain in the pit of my stomach and I was having trouble breathing again.

"Shippo enough! She isn't faking!" I was on my knees with Akira crouched beside me, next thing I knew, I had toppled over and everything went dark.

**~General POV~**

"Damnit Shippo. You can be a real ass you know that?" Akira already had Izayoi in his arms and was walking away, leaving Shippo alone with his thoughts. _I'm such a jerk!_ He thought as Akira walked out of sight._ Izayoi's time was cut short. Me bothering her with something so trivial is not like me._ He continued to rant about what he had said to Izayoi as the sky got darker and rain began to fall. Little did the fox demon know that he was being watched.

**~Back in the Village~**

"What happened?" Rin asked as Akira walked in with Izayoi limp in his arms.

"She had another 'attack.' At this rate, she might die sooner than we thought." His voice went cold and emotionless almost as if what he said hurt him.

"It's a good thing that the three of you will be setting out first thing tomorrow." Rin said as Akira covered Izayoi with a blanket.

"No, just the two of them." Shippo's voice rang out once again as his words shocked both Rin and Akira.

"What are you talking about?" Rin asked, still in shock.

"I'm not going. Those two will be fine without me. Good luck Akira, take care of Izayoi."

**Crimzon: HAHA I'VE LEFT IT AT A CLIFFHANGER! … -sigh- and please pay no mind to my ranting earlier. Like Izayoi said, I was in one of my moods. I start school again on Tuesday and I took it out on my writing. I'm sorry it's so short but next chapter is when they set out to find the first shard of the Jewel.**

**Izayoi: -sigh- I'm still surprised that they let you leave the nuthouse again.**

**Akira: I agree.**

**Crimzon: Who said that they **_**let me leave**_**? **

**Akira: did you break out again?**

**Crimzon: Maybe~ -evil smile-**

**Izayoi: Okaaaay then well Review everyone and I hope you all enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3: Shippo

**Crimzon: … well, um … yeah I got nothen to say except that I don't own Inuyasha and for you all to read and review.**

**Akira: Is everything okay?**

**Crimzon: -stares blankly and walks away-**

**Izayoi: … Well, okay then. On with the chapter!**

**Akira: Crimzon owns nothing**

**~General POV~**

"What the hell do you mean you're not going?" Akira shouted, completely forgetting the sleeping Izayoi.

"What? Have a hearing problem? I said _I'm not going_, end of story." And with that, Shippo left and ran off into the nearby forest, leaving the confused Rin and Akira behind.

"Um, dare I ask what happened between you guys?" Rin asked, trying to make sense of what just happened. Akira stayed silent as he thought back to what Shippo had said earlier that night. Something seemed different about him, but his usual stubborness made it difficult to tell.

Early the next morning when Izayoi awoke, Akira told her what Shippo had said. She didn't really agree that Shippo wasn't coming along, but she though better not to argue. It was his decision and she wasn't going to force him to come along, especially with all the drama between the three. It was probably for the best, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen and it wasn't going to be good.

"We'll be back soon Rin." Yawned Izayoi as both her and Akira walked away from the small hut.

"Be careful you two!"

A few hours passed since they left the village. Izayoi and Akira could already feel the humidity of the air around them and the scent of salt water. They were close to the ocean.

"You sense the shard?" Akira asked.

"Mhmm, kind of, but it's hard to tell where it is from here." She replied. They were staring down from the top of a cliff, watching the ocean. The ocean was calm, no waves at all. The slight breeze carried the scent of salt water. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. Not too far from the shore was a small village.

"Come on, let's go rest there for a while then we'll continue looking for the shard. It shouldn't be too difficult since its close by." Akira began walking down the hill towards the village when Izayoi began to feel odd again. She fell to her knees, clutching her head. It felt like it was splitting open. "Izayoi? What's wrong?" Akira's voice sounded far away to her. The pain was too bad that she wasn't able to respond. Next thing she knew, everything went dark.

**~Rin's POV~**

I haven't seen Shippo since last night and he was acting weird. What is going on with him? I then heard a scratching noise coming from outside and a low whimper. AhUn? I walked outside and saw the two-headed demon pacing outside, as if he were worried about something.

"What is it AhUn? Is something wrong?" AhUn let out another low whimper as I pet his back.

"Lady Rin!" I turned to see a frightened villager.

"What is it?"

"It's Shippo! He's running rampant!" he was pointing towards the center of the village when I noticed a large cloud of dust. What in the world?

"Have you evacuated the villagers?" I asked as I retrieved my bow and arrows.

"Yes, they're safe, but what has happened to Shippo?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to stop him." I already had a feeling about what could be wrong with Shippo, but the last thing I need was for the villagers to panic over a new species of demon. I called over AhUn and road on his back over to where Shippo was. Once I got there, I noticed him standing there, hands to his head. It seemed like he had a headache.

"Damnit, get out of my head!" I knew it; he was being possessed, just like how Akira was. From the looks of it, he must be trying to kick out the demon from his body.

"Shippo!" he turned to face me at the sound of my voice. His eyes were dark and his skin was pale. His body then went still as the demon inside him seemed to take control again. Next thing I knew, he was running at me with the intent of killing me. AhUn was about to attack him when I told him to stand back. I only had a second so I would not be able to hesitate. I took my stance and took aim at my friend. Before I released the arrow, it was glowing a vibrant blue then red. I let go of the string and the arrow shot forward, shooting him square in the chest, knocking him backwards.

"I'm sorry Shippo."

**Crimzon: Sorry this is so short guys, but … I wanted to leave at that I guess. To make up for it, I'll make the next chapter REALLY LONG!**

**Shippo: I have two questions.**

**Crimzon: Shoot.**

**Shippo: 1) did you BS this chapter? 2) did I just die?**

**Crimzon: no, writer's block did and I can't answer that question.**

**Shippo: So, I died?**

**Crimzon: -stares blankly and walks away, yelling only four words- REVIEW PEOPLE, PLEASE, THANKYOU!**


	4. Chapter 4: Human & Demon Young & Old

**Crimzon: OMG everyone im so very terrible sorry that I havent been able to update but I moved resently and I had to wait for the internet to be re-installed to my laptop but aparently my anit-virus thing decided to expire so I got a virus on my precious electronic friend here (laptop) so I wasn't aloud to use it at all till my dad called the guy to fix … THANK GOD NONE OF MY FILES WERE DELETED! … but I cant find my itunes haha**

**Izayoi: Wow … all of that happened and you didn't lose ur mind?**

**Shippo: O.o**

**Akira: … wow**

**Crimzon: Geez guys, I managed to keep my cool (except for the momentary panic that kicked in when the guy was fixing my laptop) … anyways, all that crap aside, I know that my previous chapters have been short and well not my best so I will try for this one. Well, you all know the drill, R&R AANNDD ENJOY!**

**Akira&Izayoi&Shippo: She doesn't own Inuyasha either!**

**~General POV~**

Izayoi had, once again, collapsed. Akira knew that izayoi wasn't going to survive much longer the way she is now. He had to find the shard no matter what! With not much else to do and with nowhere else to go, Akira had taken Izayoi over to the nearby village. Explaining their situation, the village elder understood with sympathy and offered them a place to stay until Izayoi was strong enough to leave.

"Thanks again for letting us stay, I hope it isnt too much trouble." Akira told the elder as he gingerly placed the thick blanket over Izayoi.

"Oh, no trouble at all. Unlike most villages, we are friends to both humans and demons. We are willing to help any who are in need of assistance." He said as he served Akira a cup of tea.

"Thank you, um … may I ask your name?"

"You can call me Shu. Most young'uns here call me old man Shu. I don't mind either." He added with a smile. Old man Shu was short with long gray hair tied back in a short tail. He had a hunch back and when he walked, he had his arms crossed around his back, "Well, why don't I go see if dinner is ready. I do hope your friend here recovers soon." Akira nodded and looked back down at the sleeping half-demon. Kuromaru was curled up, nuzzled against her neck while his head rested on her shoulder. It's a good thing kuromaru was so small.

Akira felt so powerless to help her from her fate that his hands began to tremble. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. Kuromaru sensed his master's agitation and perked his ears in Akira's direction, giving out a low whimper. Akira looked over at the young wolf pup and slowly he unclenched his fists. He smiled, "You're right, I shouldn't worry too much. Izayoi is strong and I know that she must be giving her all right now." He then looked back over at her sleeping face and noticed that her breathing pattern had changed and her face looked less peaceful … she was having another nightmare.

**~Shippo's POV~**

I was being surrounded by shadows, hearing nothing, saying nothing, seeing nothing. Then only sense there was pain and a lot of it. I could feel the stinging burning sensation from where the arrow had hit me. I remember how when Rin was young, grandma Kaede would teach her different spells with the arrow, including the sealing spell. Rin had told me the other day that she was, in a way, perfecting the sealing spell so that way, it'd work on those new demons. From what I could tell at the moment, it worked. I could already feel myself regain conciousness.

"Shippo? Shippo!" Rin's panicked voice hit me like a sonic boom. Everything hurt so badly that even blinking caused my head to ache. Geez, this was worse than a hangover. From what I could tell, we were back in Rin's hutt and she was sitting next to me, yelling frantically.

"God Rin, tune it down a little, would ya!" I groaned as I managed to sit up, though by doing so, I almost lost my lunch.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright. How are you feeling?" she asked, this time quieter.

"Ugh, like utter crap. You need to work on your sealing technique."

"Sorry, but it was kind of last minute." Her voice held a hint of sarcasm, "Anyway here, drink up and start hauling your butt over to the seaside." She handed me some kind of tea that had a blue-ish color and the aroma of blueberries. I gulped that thing down like my life depended on it, which wasn't a good idea since it only made my stomache churn. Rin noticed my discomfort and handed me a small bucket which I spilled my guts in.

"Geez Rin, are you trying to kill me? And why the seaside?"

"Not my fault you're a wimp. And duh, to help out Izayoi. Her, Akira, and Kuromaru left early this morning. They should be there by now, but I know they will need your help Shippo. Please say you'll go." She pleaded. Well what do you know, I was already feeling 100% … wait, they left without me?

"Well of course, but why did they set out without me?"

"What? You mean you don't remember a thing while you were possessed?" she sounded dumbfounded. I tried to remember but that only gave me a headache. I shook my head.

"What happened exactly? Did I say anything to them like when Akira was possessed?" Rin looked at me with a confused expression, "Did I say anything hurtful to Izayoi?" she turned her head and sighed. She turned to face me again and began telling me what I had said.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

I was running and I couldn't breath. I running in complete darkness and what was worse, I didn't know what I was running from. All I knew was that it scared me enough to be crying. It was pouring rain and I slipped a few times but that didn't stop me from getting back up and continue running for Lord knows where. My legs were burning but the adrenaline rushing through my veins forbade me to stop. I began hearing loud screeching sounds behind me, telling me to give up, to look them in the face, to face my fears and fight until I could fight no longer. Part of me, my stubborn half, was telling me to turn around and fight, the other part, my coward half, told me to keep running until I collapsed. I was conflicted, I didn't know what to do. Which was the best decission? Would it kill me if I chose to fight or chose to run? I wasn't sure.

Noises all around me continued to scream out my name and rain continued to fall until it began to flood the very floor. I stopped, surprizingly and looked down to see the water was already around my ankles. Then, all of a sudden, the rain stopped and so did the noises. For a moment, I was relieved until I saw something that made my heart stop … my younger self.

I was standing only five feet infront of her, er me. I was wearing a white kimono with a pink cherry blossom print around it. I was clutching a small white dog plushie. Then it hit me, this was me when I went to a school festival for Uncle sota. I had gotten lost that day and I was walking around, crying until one of his friends recognized me and brought me to him. I looked so small and frai. I crouched down on my knees and reached out with my hand. The younger me backed away a step, hiding her face behind the plushie, then, realizing that I'm not a danger to her, she walked closer to me and took my hand with a smile. I smiled back and when she was about to say something, her eyes turned from happy to pure horror. She then backed away and began running in the other direction. Without thinking, I followed, hoping to catch up to her, but she dissapeared behind some kind of barrier that I slamed into. Wondering about what might have scared her off, I turned only to see me, only not me. I looked about twenty and I had a whicked smile, as if I were on the hunt. I was wearing a red kimono, but when I looked closer, I noticed that it wasn't red, it was a white kimono stained in blood. In one hand, she had Lacrima. The blade was completely covered in blood and my eyes were just two red orbs lusting for more blood.

I finally realzied where I was, I was within my soul and this is where my demon and human side were fighting to gain control. Looking back at the barrier then back at my inner demon, I realized that the area surrounded by the barrier was the only area withing my soul that wasn't taken over by my demon … I now knew how much time I had left and it wasn't enough.

The older me had started walking and passed me completely, not even aknowledging my presence. Instead, she began to cut away at the barrier. My younger self was on the other side, both hands together, as if she were praying. My older self's attacks just kept getting difflected. I looked further passed my younger self and noticed the one piece of the jewel I had within me. That's when I understood. My human was protecting it while my demon fought to get her hands on it. At this rate, my human side wasn't going to hold out much longer. I had to do something, and the only way was for me to return and find the remaining jewel shards.

I closed my eyes and began to consintrate. When I began feeling myself wake up, the last thing I saw was my human side smiling at me.

"Izayoi?" Akira's voice was warm and close. I opened my heavy eyelids and saw him sitting there, smiling at me.

"Hey, what happened?" as if it couldn't have been more obvious.

"You fainted again. We're at the village near the ocean. How are you feeling? Any pain?" he asked as he helped me up into a sitting position.

"Mhmm, I'm ok, but I have to tell you something."

**~Shippo's POV~**

"I-I said that?" my voice was a little shaky, but you cant blame me. I said horrible hurtful things to Izayoi that I never meant for her to hear.

"Yeah, you kind of did, but I'm sure she knows you didn't mean it. It was the demon that possessed you that made you say those things, its not like you really do feel the way you do, do you?" she asked. Should I tell her? Keep it to myself? You know what, screw both! I'm done with this, I'm going after Izayoi.

"Im going to help Izayoi. Seaside right? Ok then, later." Was the last thing I said to Rin as I ran out and rushed out to where Izayoi was.

**~General POV~**

Izayoi had just finished telling Akira what she had whitnessed with her soul and that only made him worry even more now that he knew how much longer she had before her time runs out.

"Akira?" Izayoi had her hand over his, her eyes showed worry towards him.

"Izayoi," he looked back at her, not once did he look away. Their faces inched closer and were about to kiss when there was a loud explosion just outside the elder's house.

"What's going on?" Izayoi yelled when the ceiling began to collapse on them. Akira quickly grabbed her and Kuromaru and bolted from the room before the ceiling gave out. The three of them were running down the hall and found the body of the elder that had so kindly opened his home to them.

"Old man Shu!" Akira ran to him and turned him around so he could see his face. Shu's eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing. Akria checked for a pulse, but to no avail. Old man Shu was dead. Akira bowed his head in respect and looked back at Izayoi. She had Lacrima at the ready and Kuromaru had already transformed. Akira smiled and grabbed his sycthe. Together, the three of them ran out and saw those demons again, running a muck around the village. Thankfully, most of the villagers had managed to escape, but the same couldn't be said fot the unfortunate ones.

With anger flowing through their veins, they charged forward with the intent to kill.

**Crimzon: Hmm, I kinda feel prrty good bout this chapter … HELLZ YEAH PEOPLE, MY WRITER'S BLOCK IIS GONE AND MY WRITING MOJO IS BACK IN ACTION!**

**Izayoi: I rlly worry about ur random outbursts … just letting you know.**

**Crimzon: -_-' –sigh- ok then well, please review everyone. If I have time tomorrow … well its technically 1 am so later today haha ill add on the next chapter so for now, ima knock the f*** out so until then REVIEW OR IM CALLING IN THE FLYING RABBITS TO KILL OFF ALL THE CHARACTERS NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Akira: Flying rabbits?**

**Crimzon: Mhmm, flying jack rabbits with a weird eating disorder.**

**Shippo: weird meaning?**

**Crimzon: Yep, they are craving human flesh and nothing else sooo BEWARE OF THE FLYING CANABILISTIC JACKRABBITS FROM PLUTO!**

**Rin: Pluto? … u know what, just review people.**


	5. Chapter 5: Riptide

**Crimzon: Woo, well I don't have much left to say right now except that please enjoy this chapter ^.^**

**Izayoi: wow, you seem really calm … why?**

**Crimzon: probably because I only got five hours sleep and im not much of a morning person.**

**Akira: ….. well ok then, on with the chapter and Crimzon owns nothing!**

**~General POV~**

Izayoi and Akira came outside only to find multiple demons destroying the village. Akira unleashed his scythe and began cutting them down one by one while Izayoi fought against the others. One by one, the demons fell, but they kept regenerating.

"Theres no stoping them!" Akira yelled and him and Izayoi back up against each other.

"You think it could be the jewel shard that's regenerating them?" Izayoi asked.

"Could be, unless we're close to where these guys were created."

"Doubt it. Seems like their regeneration speed is off meaning we cant be close to where they were created. Maybe it is the Jewel, but it would have to be in the possession of one of them, but which?" Izayoi added. She was sure that one of them had it, but that demon would have to look a little different from the others. She looked around franctantly, trying to spot any differences among this hoard of demons. Then she closed her eyes to consintrate, trying to sense the jewel … it wasn't here. It was somewhere else. "Hey Akira, its not among any of these guys, but I think I know where it is."

"Meaning I don't have to be carefull with these guys." Akira let out a sidistic grin and threw his scythe like a boomerang. His scythe traveled around the three in a circle, obliterating everything in its path. He caught it in his hands, "Lead the way and hurry before these guys regenerate again." Izayoi nodded in a greement and they began running into the nearby forest and up a hill only to reach a cliff. They were high up off the ground and just down below were the sharp rocks and the high tides rolling in. The waves were huge and they continued to crash against the cliff side.

"I sense the jewel coming from here, but I don't see anything." Izayoi was looking around, but there was no sign of a demon.

**~Izayoi's POV~ **

This is weird, I know there has to be something here, but nothing. Theres no demon.

"Maybe the demon moved?" asked Akira.

"No, I still sense the jewel shard and its coming from this area." Damn, if I could only pinpoint its exact location. Suddenly, the earth around us started to shake and up from the ground came a gruesome demon. This one seemed different from the others. For starters, its arms were just long boney arms with claws for hands. Its Skull was rotting and burnt like the rest of its body. Running down his back were spikes that ended in a tail that reminded me of a stegosarus. Suddenly, Kuromaru leaped forward and bit its shoulder only to drop down, howling in pain.

"Kuromaru!" yelled Akira. I looked up at the demon and saw that some sort of miasma was seeping from its wound. Then, while we were momentarily distracted, the demon grabbed Akira and threw him against one of the trees then turned to me. I didn't move because I had a plan up my sleave … God I hoped it worked. The demon reached forward and wrapped its disgusting hand around my waist and lifted me up so I could stare at it right in the eye … that is, if it had any. Ugh, being this close made the smell worse. I could hear Akira yelling my name in the backround but he knew I wasn't in danger since he probably caught up to what I was planning. I had found where the shard was and like everyone else had done to me to get the jewel, I did the same to this demon. I jammed my arm right through its slimy chest. The demon roared in pain and began to stagger around but its grasp around me was still tight, why wasn't it letting go? I brought out my arm, covered in blood, and there it was, the shard of the jewel.

"Izayoi, get away from it!"I heard Akira yell from behind me. I was wiggiling around, but I couldn't get free. Akira noticed that I was having a hard time and began running at me with his scythe. With one quick movement, he sliced the demon's arm clean off.

"Well, at least I got it … but I think I need a shower." I began laughing and looked at my arm, now completely covered in blood. Akira stepped away slightly, holding his nose.

"Yeah, I think you do." we laughed for a moment then Kuromaru whimpered. Oh I feel like a horrible person right now. I ran over to him and kneeled down, petting him gently.

"Will he be okay?" I asked Akria while he gave him a look over.

"He's fine. Kuromaru is immune to miasma, he just wants ur attention." He chuckled slightly and nudged Kuromaru. He growled slightly then got up and started licking his face. Wow, this is just random. We laughed a little more over the pup's cute atempts for attention when a low growl scared us to our feet. I turned around and next thing I knew, the demon had me in its claws.

"Izayoi!" I saw Akira running at me with his scythe again. He then threw it like a boomerang again and cut the demon at the waist, but it still didn't let go. The demon ended up falling off the cliff and dragging me along with it.

**~Shippo's POV~**

I was already close to the seaside since I could already smell the salt in the air. I ran up a hill and looked down at the shore only to find a village completely distroyed. What the hell happened here? Then it hit me, Izayoi's scent. She wasn't far from where I was now.

**~Akira's POV~**

My heart sank wen I saw Izayoi getting pulled off the cliff along with the demon. Without a moments hesitation, I dropped my weapon and jumped after her. I pryed her away from the demon and wrapped her in my arms, sheilding her from the rocks below.

"Akira!" Izayoi yelled out my name seconds before we hit the crushing waves below.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

Akira had protected me from the impact of the water's surface. He never let go when a large wave swept us away and slammed us against the cliff side. He was taking all the pain for me.

We were both swept in a current underwater and when I saw his face, I noticed that he had lost conciousness. I had to get him out of here.

**~Shippo's POV~**

I found myself at a cliff but there was nothing there. Then, I heard something whimper beside me.

"Kuromaru? Where are Akira and Izayoi?" I asked. Kuromaru gave me a frantic glare and motioned me to get on his back. I did and he flew us down the cliff and then he did something unexpected … he took us into the water. I was about to swim back up tot the surface when I noticed Izayoi strugggling against a current while trying to keep her grip on Akira. Damn, I have to help! I swam over with Kuromaru and grabbed Izayoi by her kimono and pulled her to the surface, away from the riptide.

"Shippo?" she seemed in a daze, then snapped to attention, "Hurry and get Akira to shore!" she managed to gasp. Without thinking, I helped him onto Kuromaru who was floating just above the waters surface. I jumped up onto his back then held out my hand to Izayoi. She took it and the four of us made our way to shore.

Once we got to shore, we layed out Akira on the sand … he wasn't breathing.

"Akira! Akira!" Izayoi repeated his name over and over, all I could really do was stand there and watch. "He needs CPR …" that's when I snapped.

"Like hell I'm going to let you kiss him right in front of me."

"What? You want to do it?" she yelled back. I stepped back, disgusted at the thought and just turned away, not wanting to look, "Just hurry up before he's dead." I heard her sigh and then quiet … next thing I hear was Akira coughing.

"Thank goodness." Izayoi murmured, on the verge of tears. She then hugged him, saying she was glad he was alright. I glared at Akira, but not because I was angry, but because he's lucky that Izayoi loves him back …

"Shippo?" I looked back and noticed Izayoi standing right in front of me. all I could think of was all of the stuff I had said to her before.

"Hey, 'bout what happened, I was-" she then cut me off and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me.

"Thank you. Thank you for coming after us." I looked over her shoulder and saw Akira smiling and nodded at me. I'm guessing that's his way of saying thanks … close enough. I smiled and nodded back as I hugged Izayoi.

"Alright, enough of this sentimentality crap and lets find the remaining jewel shards." I said as I pulled her away before it became too difficult for me to let go.

"You get the shard?" Akira asked her. She nodded and opened her clenched fist. Then it began glowing a vibrant light as it floated infront of her and dissapered into her chest where the other shard was. Suddenly, her eyes went blank and she collapsed into Akira's arms.

**Crimzon: Wow … sorry guys but writers block decided to give me another visit haha and my dog is snoring away on my lap so its kinda hard to type so sorry it took long with this one.**

**Izayoi: Aww how cute.**

**Crimzon: Well, you all know the drill, please review and ill add the next chapter sooner rather than later.**


	6. Chapter 6: Its better this way

**Crimzon: Oh wow, crazy week filled with nothing but heartbreak and me wanting to tear everyone's' heads off.**

**Izayoi: … should we be worried?**

**Crimzon: Hmm, I should say not.**

**Shippo: Do we need to tie you down?**

**Crimzon: You know that'll just make things worse.**

**Akira: Do we need to call the men in white coats again?**

**Crimzon: -eyes bug out and she runs off screaming- NOOO!**

**Akira: -sigh- at least its quiet again. Ok everyone, you all know the drill REVIEW! We are nearing the end in this journey … unless Crimzon decides to keep chapters short so it'll never end … well ENJOY and CRIMZON OWNS NOTHING!**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

Once again, I found myself running in the darkness within my soul. From what I could tell, most of my soul was consumed. I was running from odd looking strands of darkness. They took the shape of long arms, constantly reaching for me, to pull me away into the dark depths of my soul. Damn that sounded emo.

I managed to find the strength in my legs to keep running because I absolutely did not want to find out what would happen if they caught me. I'm guessing nothing good and I'm not curious enough to stop and find out.

"_Over here."_ I heard a light, angelic voice calling to me. Further ahead, I could see the dome like barrier that my younger human self had created to protect what I left of the jewel. She had created a small opening at one side and she was there, motioning with her small hand for me to come in. like I had another choice. With no hesitation, I did a home run dive and I slid into safety. Right when I landed on the inside of the barrier, I noticed the small opening close and the hands that were trying to grab me collided with the barrier, bounded off then disappeared.

"Thanks." I said breathless. My human me smiled and nodded. Without another word, she motioned for me to follow her and without complaint, I did as she said.

"_Here,"_ She said in a voice so low I hardly heard it. The area inside the barrier didn't look much different from the outside of it, but it felt a lot safer and warm. Then I noticed where she was leading me … to the jewel. As we stood in front if the floating jewel shard, she stared up at me then she looked away and pointed up at the shard.

"What do you want me to do?" now I was confused. Yes, that's the jewel shard within me, and? Almost as if she read my mind, she sighed and grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to the jewel. Next thing I knew, my chest began glowing and the shard that I had just recovered appeared right in front of me and merged with the other jewel fragment. My knees buckled and I fell, as if I had lost all of my strength to stand. The younger me smiled down at me then placed her small hand on my shoulder.

"_Look."_ I looked up and saw the jewel was now half whole. Suddenly the area inside the barrier seemed less bleak and warmer. It also seemed to expand just a bit. I could already feel myself begin to black out when I noticed my demon half just outside the barrier, smiling wickedly and still covered in blood.

~General POV~

"So this happened before?" Shippo asked. Akira and Shippo had taken Izayoi deep into the woods. The sky was dark. Grey clouds loomed overhead. The cackling of the fire echoed in the silence.

"Yeah, she fainted like this when we got to the village. Maybe it was because of how close to the jewel we had gotten. Maybe it's because of the massive shock she receives from the jewel shard's overwhelming power." Akira said while he poked at the fire with a stick. Next to him, Izayoi began to stir.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

"Ugh, what the hell hit me?" my head felt like it was exploding.

"Oh, that probably happened when you passed out. Akira didn't react fast enough and dropped you." Shippo grinned. I merely glared over at Akira.

"Heh, sorry." He chuckled, sounding guilty. I sighed and sat up, trying to ignore the sore feeling in my limbs.

"How long I pass out this time?" I asked, rubbing my forehead.

"Not long, just a couple of hours. You ok?" asked Shippo. I didn't feel any different.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but I had another trip inside my soul. Finding the last shard did help, but it didn't increase the time I have left. We have to start looking for the last two." I mumbled as I tried to stand, only for my knees to buckle. I fell and Akira caught me.

"I'm all for searching for the final two, but you should rest right now."

"He's right Izayoi. We'll start bright and early, but for now, just try to sleep." Agreed Shippo. I guess I can't argue with them. Without another word, I nodded and lay back onto the ground. I noticed Kuromaru near me had transformed and curled around me to keep me warm. Next thing I knew, I had fallen back to sleep, only to awaken into another dream.

I was standing alone in a dank and decrepit forest. The trees looked dead and burnt. This place seemed like it was decaying, rotting away into nothingness. Next thing I know, I began hearing voices, but I couldn't understand what they were trying to say. Once I got a better look around me, I saw Shippo, Akira, and Kuromaru being held down by branches. That's when I realized that this dying forest was alive.

"_You wish to save your friends?"_

"_Then complete our tests."_

I heard two voices, both sounded raspy. I looked back at my friends and noticed that they were slowly being consumed by the branches. Next thing I knew, I woke up with a jolt of panic and found myself back in front of the warm camp fire. Akira and Shippo were already asleep and the sky was beginning to glow brighter. It was already morning. I looked back down at them and smiled. I can't let them get hurt because of me. Because of that dream, I was now sure about where the next shard was. If I go alone, then I'll be able to recover the shard without worrying 'bout them and if I were to fail, then they won't suffer from my mistake. I got up carefully and looked around when I noticed a small herb. I recognized this from my mother's journal … it's an herb that caused drowsiness. I picked it and tossed it onto the flickering flames then I tied a small piece of cloth around my face. I noticed Akira and Shippo stir for a moment then look up at me. Once the herb began to take effect, their eyes drooped and back to sleep they went.

"I'm really sorry guys, its better this way. I'll be back soon." With nothing else left to say, I grabbed Lacrima then slowly back away and disappeared.

**Crimzon: I AM BACK PEOPLE!**

**Shippo: … we noticed –yawn-**

**Akira: -yawns then falls asleep then Shippo falls asleep next to him-**

**Izayoi: I should take a picture for future reference.**

**Crimzon: … haha ok then, well I must go start breakfast so please review everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7: Alive

**Crimzon: Hi people … um yeah I don't have much to say except someone asked why Izayoi wasn't given more time when she got one of the three shards. Well its simple, I CANT MAKE IT EASY ON THEM NOW CAN I? Haha sorry but it wouldn't be as interesting if time is added with each shard they collect.**

**Akira: … you know she's got a point.**

**Crimzon: Damn right I do!**

**Shippo: … ok then well SHE DOESN'T OWN INUYASHA AND REVIEW PEOPLE!**

**Crimzon: Damn right review!**

**Izayoi: I think you should take a nap.**

**Crimzon: Damn right I should! –Falls asleep-**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

It has already been a few hours after sunrise, but it was still dark. After leaving the guys, I walked deeper and deeper into the forest until I found myself in the very same forest I had dreamt about not too long before. This was the forest where I heard those weird voices talked to me. The only way I could describe this place would be that it looked like a fire passed through here. The trees were burnt, grey and lifeless. The dirt looked like iron sand. The dead trees were still tall so they curled over and formed a tunnel. I wasn't able to see the sky. It's almost as if this place were designed to keep the light, out and all those who enter, in. I took a closer look at the trees and what I saw horrified me. I saw dismembered faces etched into the bark. Their expressions forever frozen in an eternal scream. This place … scared me.

"_You're right to be frightened, young one."_ A raspy voice echoed out in the silence which nearly caused me to have a heart attack. I looked around frantically, but I couldn't see anyone who could have spoken.

"Who's there?" I asked, but I hardly made a sound.

"_We are the forest and you are trespassing. What business do you have here, half-demon?"_ I heard another voice. This one sounded at a slightly lower pitch. Just like in my dream, there were two.

"I'm only here to retrieve something I have lost."

"_Ah, you seek the shard?"_ the higher pitch voice spoke this time.

"Yes, I'm only here to retrieve it. I wish to cause no harm." I was trying to sound as polite as possible, but I was losing my patience.

"_How do we know you're not going to use the shard for your own wicked needs?"_Asked the deeper voice.

"I promise you, that is not my intention."

"_Really now? Then prove yourself. Show us that we can trust you."_ They both said in unison. I guess this is where the tests begin.

**~General POV~**

The sweet aroma from the herb had begun to wear off and Akira, Shippo, and Kuromaru began to stir.

"Ah shit, why do I feel hung over again?" complained the fox demon. He looked up and noticed Akira was sitting up reading a small piece of paper.

"She's gone." Was all he said and that's when Shippo noticed someone in the group missing. He jolted up and snatched the paper from Akira, "_I'm sorry guys, but I'm tired of putting you two in harm's way. The jewel breaking was my fault so I should recover it myself. I don't want you guys getting hurt on my account. Seeing you all in pain is more than I can bear. I promise to be back soon, so until then, please return to the village … this is for the best."_ Shippo was listening to Akira recite the note while Shippo read along to it. At this point, he had the paper clutched in his fist.

"We have to go after her!" he snapped. He looked up and saw Akira already standing with his weapon strapped to his back. Kuromaru stood behind him, already transformed.

"Well no shit. No way in hell am I letting Izayoi have all the fun." Akira had a sly smirk plastered on his face. Shippo followed suit by smirking himself and off the two went. Both followed the scent that Izayoi left behind.

"Clever of Izayoi to knock us out by burning the herb, but…" started Shippo.

"She forgot to mask her scent," finished Akira. Kuromaru barked in agreement.

After what seemed like forever, they found themselves at the entrance of what appeared to be a cave made of burnt trees.

"Her scent ends here." Murmured Akira, "But there are footprints leading in."

"This must be where the next shard is," said Shippo. They both looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Right when the three demons step one foot in the forest, they hear two voices sound out from the trees around them.

"_Well, well, well, more visitors."_

"_Could they have come for the half-demon?"_ asked one.

"_I wouldn't doubt it, she was crying out for their names earlier."_ Akira and Shippo both reacted to what the voices said.

"What the hell did you do to Izayoi?" yelled Shippo.

"I swear if you harmed her in any way, I'll make you regret it!" continued Akira. Kuromaru's fur was standing on end as he growled. The voices began laughing at their reactions.

"_They'll be perfect for her test, don't you think?"_

"_Yes, yes, I think they will be."_ Next thing they know, Akira, Shippo, and Kuromaru are dragged deeper and deeper into the dead forest.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

How long can it take for two voices to decide on a test? They had led me into a clearing … and by that, I mean an open area within this forest. The sky was still invisible to me. All I could see were the trees curling up higher, forming a dome over the clearing. The sand had become dead grass which didn't make much of a difference to me.

"_We have decided on your test. Whether you agree to it or not is our decision."_ Knowing deep down that my friends are safe and sound made me nod my head in agreement. They can't get dragged into this like in my dream. Suddenly I see two forms appear before me and that's when I realized that I was wrong. They weren't safe, because they still got dragged into this mess. Shippo and Akira were being held up by large, grey roots. Kuromaru was being held down, off to one side.

"_The pup shall have no part in this."_

"Why are they here? No, I don't agree to this! They have nothing to do with this!" I yelled up into the trees, hoping with all my heart that the voices would release them.

"_No, they are a part of this. It was our decision on how to form the test, and we decided on how to test your loyalty. Your loyalty to the protection to the jewel and your loyalty to those you love."_ The deeper voice echoed, _"Let the test begin … fight!"_

Suddenly, the roots began to turn to ash and Shippo and Akira came at me with the intent to kill. What kind of test was this? I jumped back just when Akira plunged the blade of his scythe into the spot where I was just standing. Shippo appeared next to me in a flash and snapped his fingers. Knowing what was coming next, I plunged Lacrima into the ground and used the handle as leverage and jumped high up, almost hitting the trees covering the sky. I noticed the spot where I had been was nothing but green flames. I looked over to my companions and saw that their eyes were blank … but they weren't possessed, that much I was sure of. It must be the voices that are controlling them. I realized that it was _just_ Akira and Shippo being controlled, not Kuromaru. Maybe one voice controls one body while the other voice controls the other. Now the next question is, what the hell am I supposed to do? How do I pass this test?

That's when I remembered their words earlier. The voices are testing my loyalty to the jewel and my loyalty to my friends, but I don't understand? Do they want me to kill them?

I didn't have long to think because next thing I knew, Shippo was right behind me. Before I had a chance to block, he dropped kicked me. Before I hit the ground, I noticed Akira coming up at me with his scythe in hand, ready to slice me in half. Without a second thought, I called forth Lacrima and it appeared in my hand. I managed to block the blade and then use the impact to my advantage. I kicked Akira in the chest and jumped back. I landed onto the ground; my back was close to the wall of roots. Shippo and Akira were standing side by side, looking at me with blank expressions.

"_You need to decided, half-demon. Which is more important? The protection of the Jewel or the lives of your friends?_

"_Had you a choice between saving your friends and saving the jewel, which would it be?"_ I then noticed Shippo's and Akira's bodies stiffen. They were conscious, meaning the voice was letting them be lucid enough so they could hear my answer. The voices noticed my hesitation, _"alright, then answer me this … had you a choice between saving one of your friends, which would it be, the wolf or the fox?" _I noticed their eyebrows twitch this time; I knew at that moment what the answer would be.

"My choice? I'd pick neither." All four of them gasped.

"_Are you saying that you would let them both die when you have the chance in saving one of them?"_

"You didn't let me finish. I said that I wouldn't save either one because I wouldn't be able to decide. If I knew that there were no possible way in saving them from fate then I would take responsibility and kill them … I would follow soon after." The voices stayed quiet.

"Izayoi, what the hell are you saying?" gasped Shippo. I noticed that their eyes no longer looked blank … they were back to themselves. I noticed Kuromaru was released from the roots and he ran over to me as I sheathed my sword. Akira and Shippo ran at me. Akira held me in his arms and Shippo pat my shoulder … awkward, but it's a start.

"_You passed the test half-demon."_ I gently pushed away Akira to look at where the voice was coming from. That's when I saw them … two little half demons. One took the form of a little girl of about seven. She had curly blond locks with ram like horns curling around where her ears would be. The other voice, I'm assuming the deeper voice, was standing next to her and he took the form of a 13 year old boy. He had four small horns growing out of his forehead. His green hair was tied back in a ponytail. They both wore white kimonos with intricate gold symbols on the sleeves and around the waist. They were both glowing a bright white light.

"_You're not greedy like the ones who came after the shard. We thought that we could keep it safe until its rightful owner came in search of it,"_ spoke the little girl.

"_That's right, but we couldn't trust anyone who would come here to claim it, so he had no choice but to give any who enter a test," _explained the boy.

I smiled and walked over to them, the guys followed closely behind me.

"_You care a lot for your friends and you don't let the influence of the shard pollute your soul, your love. Please accept the shard and protect it from those whose hearts are tainted," _pleaded the little girl. She walked closer to me, not once letting go of the boy's hand. She held out her hand and the shard appeared. It floated over to me and I grasped it in my hand.

"Who are you exactly?" I asked without thinking.

"_We are the spirits of this forest, but a long time ago, it burned to the ground because of the human's greedy search for the shards. When the jewel was split apart before, humans and demons alike went in search of it. They destroyed anything in their path, for they sought only power. My brother and I decided, even though the forest was dead, to stay and to protect what was left of it,"_ she stopped talking and looked up at her brother.

"_We couldn't bear to abandon this forest, our home, so we tried our best to revive it,"_ my heart was breaking just thinking about all the pain they went through. Their home was destroyed because of selfish greed and I think I can make it right. Before the shard would absorb into my body, I walked out into the middle of the clearing and held the shard in both my hands, praying. _Lend me your strength to revive this forest._ Next thing I know, I feel warmth coming from the shard. I look around me and the grass began turning green around my feet and spread around in a circle. Slow at first, then faster and faster. When it reached the trees, they uncurled and became tall, green, and most of all, alive. The sun's rays peered through the trees and it all looked like a painting. It was no longer dark, grey and dead. This forest was now green, bright, and alive.

"_You revived the forest!"_

I looked back at the two spirits and smiled, "Nature doesn't deserve to suffer for mankind's greed." With nothing else left to say, the jewel shard absorbed into me once again and I hit the ground.

**Crimzon: Holy crap, its 3 am!**

**Izayoi: you should prolly go to sleep now.**

**Crimzon: -yawn- yeah, I should. Night everyone and please review! Just one more shard now everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8: Visitor

**Crimzon: What up people! And again here is another question. Oh, and by the way people, I don't mind answering questions. You got a question, I answer it so yeah, I don't really mind. Um actually,**_**'kagomethebeautifulmiko'**_**, Inuyasha is appearing in this chapter haha so good timing with the question.**

**Izayoi: NO SPOILERS!**

**Crimzon: What? I just said Inuyasha would appear in this chapter, that's all. I didn't say anything about…**

**Izayoi: SHUTUP! –Throws brick and knocks out Crimzon-**

**Akira: Excessive, don't you think?**

**Izayoi: … Shh, just start the chapter!**

**Akira: … ok, ok, Crimzon doesn't own anything.**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

Once again, I was running in the darkness. Once again, I was being chased by something I wasn't too sure of. Ok, this routine was getting old. I began running faster, trying to make my way to the dome like barrier where my human side is protecting the Jewel fragments. Shockingly enough, it didn't take me long to find like the two times before. Was it because I had three of the four fragments in my possession?

I noticed my younger self on the other side of the barrier, motioning for me to run faster. She had this frantic expression plastered on her face and it didn't take me long to figure out why. I took a quick glance over my shoulder and saw my older, demon self running at me, weapon in hand, yearning for more blood. Realizing how quickly she was approaching, I did a run and dive as I got in front of the barrier. Next thing I knew, I was safe inside while my demon side struck away at the transparent wall.

"_This way."_ My human side spoke to me from behind. He voice sounded so fragile that it seemed like it could easily be shattered. I looked over my shoulder at her and nodded. I got up and followed her to the half complete jewel. Before I got any closer and the Jewel could absorb the shard I had with me, I stopped.

"Hey, how much longer do I have left to find the last shard?" my voice held no emotion as my question echoed out in the empty space. She looked up at me with an expression so sad it would have broken even the coldest person's heart.

She didn't have to say much for me to know that I didn't have much time left. A few days at the most, I could feel it.

"_The shards you have collected thus far have sustained me. With each shard collected, my strength grew and I was able to suppress your demon from taking over. I'm sorry, but using the power from the jewel is what has kept you alive up until now."_ I'm sorry, but that was the longest thing she has said to me since I've fallen into the hell time and time again. What she said may have been somewhat vague, but I understood now why I don't get time added on for each shard acquired.

With nothing else much to say, I walk closer to the Jewel and suffer the momentary sting of the jewel shard combining with the rest of the Jewel. Only one more left. I dropped to my knees and blacked out.

I felt warmth as I slowly opened my eyelids to a bright light. For a moment, I wasn't sure where I was until I noticed the futon I was laying in and the inside of Rin's hut. I noticed small rays of sunlight seeping through the tatami like curtain hanging in the doorway. Judging by how bright it was, I'm guessing its mid-afternoon.

As I got the feeling back in my arms and legs, I slowly sat up, only to feel a sharp pain in my chest … right where the Jewel shards were. Damn, if only I had some kind of clue as to where the hell the last shard could be. That's when it hit me, the dream I had before… the one that warned me someone was going to die. The first shard was at the sea-side, just like in my dream. The second shard was in a dying forest and the last shard is up in the mountains somewhere … but where?

Feeling frustrated and groggy, I got up and stepped off the tatami mat and onto the cold dirt floor. Suddenly my vision got blurry and my knees buckled. Almost on cue, Akira walked into the hut and caught me before I did a face plant onto the ground.

"Geez, impatient as ever aren't we?" there he goes with the sarcasm.

"I think I get that from my father, so blame him." That got a slight chuckle from him. He then picked me up in his arms and back to the futon I went. I laid there with him sitting beside me, trying to get over the sudden dizziness. "Hey, when did we get back to the village?" I asked.

"After you passed out, Shippo and I decided that it would be better for you to regain your strength here in the village. Um, I don't want to alarm you or anything, but you've been asleep for over a day now."

"What?"

"Yeah, we were worried … I was worried. I've never seen you sleep so long before without waking up at least once. Rin tried waking you a couple of times, but nothing worked." His hand gripped mine and I felt it slightly tremble.

"Hey Mr. Softy, don't go all mushy on me right now. I'm okay so there's no need to worry." I smiled up at him and he had that cocky smile plastered on his face. The room fell silent and he started kneeling down closer to me and placed his lips to my forehead.

"Izayoi, promise me that you'll never leave like that again." He had his forehead up against mine and his eyes stared straight into mine. I felt tears welling up inside. I sat up abruptly and fell into his embrace, crying into his shoulder. All my troubles, all my worries were pouring out in tears. I wasn't sure whether I was going to live or die … in truth, I was afraid.

After I managed to calm down, Akira and I walked outside the hut hand in hand. The bright sun burned my eyes and it took them a while to adjust. When they did, I heard someone's voice … and I thought I would never hear that voice again … father.

"Keh, you sleep way too much Izayoi. It's not healthy." He said in the usual sarcastic tone. I looked over at him leaning up against the hut with a giant smirk on his face. I had nothing to say, instead, I let go of Akira's hand and ran into my father's arms. For a while neither of us said anything, he just held me there. At some point, I peeked over my shoulder and noticed Akira walking away, into the village. That jerk, he knew my father was here and didn't tell me, eh, I'll kick his ass later… then kick my own for not noticing my own father's scent.

After a while, I told him about all the stuff that has happened. I told him how I managed to collect two shards and that I had one more to collect, but I wasn't sure where it could be. I explained the dream I had before and I managed to describe the mountain I saw … the mountain surrounded in mist.

"Hm, sounds like Mt. Hakurei to me, but that place is gone now. You sure that's what you saw?" he asked. I looked back in my memory and then remembered what my mother had written in her journal and I was now sure that that was exactly it. I nodded up at him and for a split second, I noticed his eyebrow twitch. For a moment, I thought it was because of the final shard being at Mt. Hakurei, but I was wrong. It took me a second, but I caught the scent in no time. Someone was headed this way at immense speed. A demon? Why did it smell familiar?

"Who is it?" I asked. I looked up at my father and noticed he had an annoyed expression.

"Keh, it's that damn wolf again." For a moment, I thought he was talking about Akira, but he's never said that about him before … well, not that I know of, but then it hit me and I realized who our new visitor was.

At that moment, a small whirlwind appeared in front of us from out of the forest.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the mutt face and look who we've got here, another half-dog." He sneered. It was Kouga of the Wolf Demon tribe. I noticed Akira and Shippo, along with the others running up from the village.

"Dad? What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"It's time you return to the pack, Akira."

**Crimzon: And so, another cliff hanger! Haha I was watching the Inuyasha episode: Kagome Kidnapped by Kouga the Wolf Demon! And I got an idea for a couple of cliff hangers. Haha sorry people but I'm doing this for two reasons. 1) It'll give me time to think of future chapters with the final jewel shard and B) I don't want to end this too early so it just screams fillers! Anywho, I'll try to make them as interesting as I can so please review and enjoy!**

**Akira: Why? I don't want to go back!**

**Izayoi: … um why?**

**Akira: You know why –in seductive tone-**

**Izayoi: -glare then walks away-**

**Crimzon: … well, ok then um please review if you wish to know what happens next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9: Kouga

**Crimzon: Watup people. Sorry, I havnt been able to update … bad case of writers block, you know how it is. Anyway, I'm going to try to update at least once a week, twice ( if you're lucky) Anyways, ive been having issues trying to figure out what to do for this chapter so bear with me on this. Um also, kinda off topic, ima try to update my profile more often and ima put stuff like stories on hold or upcoming one and such so yeah.**

**Izayoi: Geez, when was the last time u updated that thing?**

**Crimzon: A whiiiiile ago haha, I tend to forget okay.**

**Izayoi: Um, ok then well CRIMZON DOESN'T OWN INUYASHA!**

**Crimzon: AND REVIEW PLEASE!**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

"It's time for you to come back Akira," Kouga, Akira's father, was trying to convince Akira to go back with him. Why? Why now all of a sudden? Then again, I just now realized that Akira never really said much about his father or why he left his tribe, his family.

"I ain't going back. You're wasting your time trying to convince me otherwise."

"I don't understand why you're even here to begin with. What business have you with the mutt-face over there?" sneers Koga as he points over his shoulder at my father. Geez, this guy's only been here a few minutes and he's already getting on my last nerve.

"Really now? Then what right have you to tell your son what to do? Obviously, he doesn't want to go back so why don't you just run off with your tail between your legs?" I blurted. I could tell without needing to look over at my dad that he was giving me that 'damn, you turned out more like me than I thought' look. I smiled, pleased with myself.

"Heh, so you must be the reason?" he murmured, mostly to himself. I dropped my guard then because in a blink of an eye, he was right in front of me, inches away, "Stay out of this family's affairs," he growled, his tone full of malice. Next thing I knew, he had pushed me to the ground. I noticed my father about to unsheathe Tetsaiga when I noticed a giant blade come out from behind Kouga, hanging just over his shoulder and was held up against his neck. Akira was actually pointing his scythe at his own father.

"Don't you lay a finger on her. This is between you and me, keep her out of this!" he snapped. I saw fire in his eyes and I could tell he was ready for a fight. I'm guessing these two aren't that close. I noticed Shippo kneeling next to me, helping me to my feet, asking if I was okay. I only nodded. All my attention was on the tension brewing between father and son. I looked over and my dad and saw him staring intently at Kouga. From what I could remember from my mother's journal, he was never really like this. I mean, she did say that him and Inuyasha would always pick a fight with each other, but Kouga seemed like a total jerk right now.

"Now, now, Akira. Do you really think it's smart of you to point your weapon at me? I did help you make it after all," he sneered as he nudged the blade away with his finger, "How ungrateful you are, Akira. Leaving your family to train with some mutt and then help this half-breed? I just don't understand."

"I don't have any reason to explain myself to the likes of you. How 'bout you just go back and lead your pack. Like I've said before, I'm done and I have no intention of going back," he pulled back his weapon and began walking towards me when Kouga merely stood in front of him.

"Oh, I don't think so," what happened next completely shocked me. Kouga punched Akira square in the face, knocking him off his feet. Kuromaru ran over to his master and stood in front of him, snarling fiercely at Kouga. Without so much as a glance at the pup, he walked by him and stood over his son. Kuromaru then transformed and jumped at him only to be kicked right in the gut and thrown backwards. Kouga then snapped his fingers and his wolves ran passed him right at Kuromaru. I was about to run to the poor pup when I saw a flash of green zip by and create a wall of fire, protecting him from the rabid wolves.

"I don't think it's very fair of you to send in your wolves on an opponent that's down. That's just playing dirty," sneered Shippo. He was already standing in front of the injured pup who then transformed back to its smaller form.

"I remember you; you're that puny little fox demon. Looks like you've learned to fight without the aid of others." I noticed Shippo twitch at his comment. I'm guessing he hit a nerve. Kouga then turned to look down at his son only to see him already on his feet. Akira threw a punch at Kouga only for him to hit his fist. Kouga then grabbed his forearm and was about to flip him when Akira twisted out of his grasp and did a round house kick. Kouga grabbed Akira's leg seconds before impact and spun him around. Akira dug his hands into the ground, keeping him in place and giving him the leverage he needed to kick his dad right in the face. He stumbled back a moment then sped forward, claws out and ready for a fight that might just end with the both of them in a draw.

Unable to take much more of this, I ran in and stood in front of Akira, arms raised. Yeah, stupid idea, I know, but this is what happens when adrenaline is pumping and all rational thought is lost.

"Izayoi, what the hell?" I heard Akira gasp behind me, but it was more like a muffled sound to me at this moment. I noticed Inuyasha was about to step in, but Kouga was too fast. For a moment, I thought he was going to knock me away like he did to Kuromaru, but instead, I saw his fist only inches away from my face. He stopped at the last moment.

"You know, stepping in like that is reckless and stupid. Had I not stopped, I could have ruined that pretty little face of yours."

"I think I could have handled it. Go ahead, take your best shot," I shot back. I felt Akira's hand on my shoulder and I turned a bit to look up at him.

"What the hell are you doing Izayoi? Don't get yourself involved in this, it has nothing to do with you." He had that look of worry in his eyes. I only smiled up at him.

"You know that I got involved in this the moment I met you. There's something that you don't want me to know and I'm going to make you tell me once your dad gets lost." I turned to glare at Kouga at that last part. He only had a stupid smirk plastered on his face.

"Feisty one, aren't you?" Kouga stepped closer to me and lifted my chin so I looked him in the eye, "You resemble Kagome in many ways, you realize that?" my expression didn't change, but my heart rate did. What the hell was he getting at? Before I could say anything, my father appeared in a flash before us. He had grabbed Kouga's arm, ready to snap it like a twig. Akira then pushed his way in front of me and Shippo stood next to me. Seriously guys? I think I can handle myself.

I looked over at Kouga only to see him sneering. He was thinking of something, but what?

"It's time for you to leave Kouga," spat Inuyasha as he shoved him away. Kouga's wolves growled at him, but he hardly took notice.

"Alright then, how about we make a deal?" he looked over at me and smiled, "Izayoi, right? Meet me by the sacred tree at sunset to discuss a deal, but come alone. I can't allow others to influence your decision. If you don't show, I'll be forced to take my son back, by force, if necessary."

"Fine," was all I said. Inuyasha, Akira, and Shippo looked at me with shock plastered all over their faces.

"What the hell are you doing?" Before I could answer Akira's question, Kouga backed away and disappeared in a windy vortex. As he ran off into the forest, his wolves struggled to keep up with his speed.

It was quiet for a moment after he left. The smell of wolves was still thick in the air.

"Izayoi, what the hell are you thinking?" snapped my father. I just sighed and began walking towards the sacred tree, "Where the hell are you going?" he snapped again. Like any normal teenage daughter, I ignored my father's ranting. I looked back and motioned for Akira to follow me. He probably knew what was coming next and followed without complaint. Shippo probably noticed too and turned to calm down Inuyasha who was still yelling, but I managed to block him out.

As I walked into the forest, I noticed Kuromaru running after me and jumped up onto my shoulder. I smiled and continued walking to the tree, neither me nor Akira said a word on the way there. There were so many questions right now that I wasn't sure where the hell to begin with the interrogation.

Once we got to the tree, I sat down at the base. I felt the sun's warm rays peering through the thick leaves. For I moment, I thought back to the dying forest and the two spirits. Kuromaru jumped down from my shoulder and made himself comfortable on my lap and I began petting his back. Sleep quickly consumed the pup and he was out like a light. I looked up at Akira standing in front of me and motioned for him to sit on the spot next to me. Without so much as a blink, he sat.

To me, it seemed like we sat in the silence for hours, but it was probably only a couple a minutes. Eventually, I sighed and was about to break the peace when Akira beat me to it.

"I guess I should explain," he looked over at me and smiled, taking my hand in his. He turned away and leaned his head back against the tree, "I was only eight when it happened. I was still learning to hunt so my mother decided to come with me that day. I did rather poorly and my mother did all the work. She said that it was okay, that I was still learning. We were taking a short break by a river when one of those demons appeared. It caught us by surprise," he stopped a moment and sighed, "Mother easily defeated it, or so she thought. It regenerated and pretty soon, a few more appeared. We were outnumbered. I was only a kid so I wasn't able to fight. Mother took them all on by herself. I felt so helpless." His hand was shaking in mine. I couldn't imagine what was running through his mind right now, "When we found an opening, we escaped from there. We were close by the wolf den, but before we could get there, one of those demons caught up with us and was about to attack me when my mother stepped in and was pinned to the ground. I tried helping her, I really did, but she wouldn't let me. She yelled for me to run and go get father. She kept saying that she'd be okay, but something was telling me that she was lying. The coward within me just screamed at me to run and that's what I did.

"I managed to get to the wolf den and got my father. He, along with other warriors from the pack, ran back to where my mother was, but once we got there, all we found was her mangled body," his entire arm was shaking now. I looked up at his face and even though his bangs were covering his eyes, I saw a tear slide down his cheek, "Ever since that day, father has blamed me for her death. He called me a weakling and a coward. The other demons shunned me and only saw me as an abomination. Shortly afterward, I found Kuromaru helpless and abandoned in the nearby forests." He smiled a moment and pet the sleeping pup, "Up until then, I always felt alone, but Kuromaru was always by my side. Of course, my father didn't approve and would constantly sick the wolves on him, but I'd always step in. They learned not to bug him when I was around. Eventually, I grew sick and tired of all of them and left, only to meet your uncle. Shockingly enough, he said he saw power in me and decided to train me so that if you were ever to appear in this time, then I'd be able to help you."

"And here I thought my uncle was just an un-emotional ass," I chuckled, trying to lighten the depressing mood. It worked a moment, but then everything turned serious.

"Look Izayoi, I don't know what it is my father wants from me all of a sudden, but it can't be good. It's actually worse than you may think since he's involving you in this as well. Maybe it's to piss me off, but I'm not entirely sure," I smiled at the last comment. I felt his hand tighten in mine and I looked back at him, his face showing unease.

"Look Akira, I doubt he wants to hurt me. If he did, he would have done it already. I'm thinking that he's just trying to get you to give up and go back with him so that way I won't get involved. Well, too bad that I'm not going to let him." I smiled, "Do you trust me?"

"Now why would you ask a silly question like that? Of course I trust you … I just don't trust your irrational part of you." He snickered and leaned forward, his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes, wishing time would freeze like this, but of course, nothing always worked out the way you want it to.

"Gee thanks Akira, but you trust me and I trust you that you won't interfere. I can do this and I promise you that I'll be fine. You don't have to worry, alright? I can protect myself." For a moment, I felt him tense and then, he pulled me into an embrace. Poor Kuromaru fell off my lap and onto the grass when Akira hugged me, but he was so knocked out that he woke up for a split second then fell back to sleep.

"I do trust you Izayoi and I know that you can fend for yourself, one of the reasons I love you so much, but I just don't trust my father. Ever since my mother died, he's never been the same and I know for a fact that he's going to get you involved in something," he pulled away for a moment to look me in the eye, "I promise not to interfere, but so help me if I find a single scratch on you when you come back, I'm hunting him down and kicking his ass into next year and I'm damn sure that your father and Shippo will want a piece of him too," his words shocked me, but only for a split second because next thing I knew, we found ourselves laughing so hard, we toppled over.

We stayed like that for a while, lying on the grass hand in hand and Kuromaru sleeping soundly between the two of us. I felt my eyes droop and when I opened them again, I noticed that the sky was a slight orange color … the sun was setting. I looked over at Akira and shook him awake.

"Go back to the village Akira and take Kuromaru with you. I'll try to make this quick, alright?"

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this. If anything goes wrong, just…" before he could finish his sentence, I crawled over him and kissed him. I then backed away and held up Lacrima.

"I think I can handle myself Akira, you worry too much," his eyes were bugging out, but then he sighed and composed himself.

"I'm giving you ten minutes. If you're not back by then, I'm coming after you, deal?"

"Deal." I replied.

Akira picked up the still snoozing Kuromaru and made his way back to the village, leaving me standing there alone. I kept staring up at the Sacred Tree when I noticed a familiar scent making itself known. He's here, Kouga.

"What a cute moment. I still don't see why my son loves you so much, but then again, I never really understood his way of thinking," he sneered as he walked over, arms crossed across his chest. I looked behind him and noticed his wolves standing behind the trees.

"Just hurry and tell me what you want." I said bluntly, not once looking at him.

"I guess you have your father's impatient personality. Well then, here's the deal. Come with me back to the wolf den and I promise to never bother Akira again. If you refuse, not only will I take him back by force, but I'll send out my wolves into the nearby villages for a late night snack," what he said got my full attention and my brain started working overtime, trying to decide. No way in hell was I letting him hurt Akira and dozens of innocent villagers. Obviously he needed me for a reason and I could already guess what it was. I found my answer and I knew for a fact that the only person that would like my decision was Kouga.

**Crimzon: I gotta say, I like what I did with this chapter ( no matter how much of a pain in the ass it was). Haha, sorry guys, but I was coming up with this stuff as I went along so yeah, I hope you liked this and please review.**

**Izayoi: hmm, I wonder what he wants?**

**Shippo: you know, you are a lot more dense than in the story like a certain someone I know **

**-cough- Inuyasha -cough-**

**Inuyasha: What was that, you little twerp?**

**Crimzon: Well, ok then so yeah, um ive updated my profile if ya'll wana check that out and if a good amount review, I might have the next chapter up by tomorrow (Monday the latest)**

**THANKYOU ANF GOODNIGHT!**


	10. Chapter 10: I Trust You

**Crimzon: ugh, ive got STAR testing this week … but on the bright side, I get off early!**

**Akira: That explain why you typing this now?**

**Crimzon: Yep, and cuz im going over to my friend's Friday 'till Monday so I wont be able to update this weekend like I was planning, so might as well now haha.**

**Akira: … well then CRIMZON DOESN'T OWN INUYASHA!**

**Crimzon: -sigh- oh how I wish I did though … oh well, on with the show! … er chapter … YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

"Promise me that you will leave Akira and the villagers alone?" I pleaded. I know that my friends can handle themselves, but who knows what Kouga was capable of … I decided not to test it.

"You have my word," he said. He then walked closer to me with a smile on his face. I felt the adrenaline shooting through my veins, preparing for a battle … or at least some ass-kicking if this guy tries anything stupid, "Alright, I'll give you some time to say goodbye to your friends. Meet back here at midnight and we'll leave. I'm trusting you to keep your side of the bargin. If you're not back here by midnight, then … well I think you're smart enough to know the consequences right?" he chuckled sadistically as he walked back to where his wolves stood, "Remember our deal, Izayoi." Just the way he said my name made my skin crawl. It really does make me think how the hell my mother dealt with his possesive personality. Minutes passed as I stood there in the darkness, thinking whether my decision was the best one or not, but the real question here was, how am I going to tell Akira and the others?

With not much else of a choice, I made my way back to Rin's hut with only the light of the full moon to guide my way.

**~Akira's POV~**

"What the hell were you thinking letting her do this on her own?" Shippo and Inuyasha had been ragging on me for the last ten minutes. Truthfully, I just blocked out their complaints. All I could think was whether or not I should have left her alone. But of course, once she decides something, theres no changing her mind. I trust her and I trust her judgment … I just don't trust her when she isnt thinking rationally.

"You really think she's okay? I mean, she's been gone a while now," asked Rin. I was standing just outside the hut, waiting for Izayoi to make her way back. Rin stood at the doorway, Inuyasha stood silent behind her. Shippo continued to mope as he sat cross-legged on the roof.

"Izayoi is strong, she can handle herself. If she were in any danger, then I'd know." Was all I said. I didn't pay much attention on whether she replied or not. The only thing I noticed was Kuromaru's low whimpers as he sat on my shoulder. _Please be okay, Izayoi._

**~Izayoi's POV~**

It seemed to take forever to get back to the village … but then again, I was walking so slow that snails were having races against me and winning. I guess I should probably pick up the pace before I make the others worry even more.

Before I knew it, I was already walking through the village, unconciously making my way back to Rin's hut. Just when I see its roof, I noticed Akira standing there with his arms crossed, waiting for me. Not just him, Shippo was sitting on the roof, Inuyasha leaned against the hut and Rin was standing at the doorway with a worried expression. I stopped walking a moment and sighed, thinking that it would only make it harder for me to leave them again. I've hurt them before, when I left them to go find a shard and I promised never to leave again, but I don't have much of a choice. Besides, Kouga needs me for something so I doubt he'll do anything to me and even if he tried, I'll give him a good ass-kicking.

As I walked closer, I kept asking myself, should I tell them? Before I could decided, Akira spotted me and he smiled. Without realizing, I smiled back, reassuring him that I am un-harmed. As I climed the hill up to them, I knew that I had to lie.

"Hey, Akira," I smiled, hopeing he wouldn't notice anything. He was about to say something when Shippo and my father ran over to me, yelling.

"Geez Izayoi, do you enjoy giving us heartattacks?" complained Shippo. Before I could say anything, he started looking me over. He lifted the sleeves of my kimono, looking for scratches. He did the same with my pant legs. Before he could check anywhere else, as if on cue, both Inuyasha and Akira punched Shippo on the head, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Calm down guys, I'm fine. Like I said, there was no need to worry." I said, trying to calm them down.

"So? What did he want?" asked my father, crossing his arms. Damn! I forgot to make up something. Being the quick thinker, on occasion, I blurted out the best lie I could muster at that last second moment.

"Uh, not really sure. He just wanted to know why Akira wanted to stay here. He said if I gave him a good enough reason, then he'd leave. I guess he knew you'd never admit it, Akira, so he wanted to hear it from me." at first, I thought it sounded kind of stupid and rushed, but they didn't seem suspicious since they didn't make much of a fuss of it. I guess I'm in the clear, for now.

"Well, I guess that's it then. Now, time for dinner!" chirped Rin as she clapped her hands and shoved Shippo and Inuyasha back inside the hut. She looked back at Akira and I and winked. Atomatically, I felt my face burn red.

"My father, he didn't try to hurt you, did he?" he asked, the moment the others were out of ear shot.

"No. Even if he did, I think I can hold my own in battle." I said full confidence. I heard him chuckle slightly and he turned to look me in the eye.

"I trust you, Izayoi." He smiled and kissed my forhead, "Well, I'm starving, lets go eat before Shippo and Inuyasha eat all the food." He said as he walked away, back to the hut. Kuromaru jumped down from his shoulder and ran to me, jumping into my arms. I pat his head, smiling. Akira's words echoed in my head … this only made me feel even more guilty. '_I trust you' _he says. Before going back inside, I looked up at the moon, full and bright. Judging by its position in the sky, it was close to midnight.

After dinner, we all decided to turn in for the night. I waited until everyone were completely zonked out. Once I was sure, I grabbed Lacrima and ran off into the night and towards the sacred tree, hoping that Akira would find it in his heart to forgive me.

**Crimzon: Sorry its so short guys, I tried, but writer's block is being a bitch again.**

**Akira: She really did. Steam was literally coming outa her ears writing this.**

**Shippo: ITS TRUE! ITS TRUE!**

**Izayoi: … yeah, well REVIEW PEOPLE!**


	11. Chapter 11: Wolf Den

**Crimzon: HAPPY EASTER! Kay so yeah, I managed to update this three times in one week, I feel really proud of myself!**

**Akria: well good for you … can we just get on with the chapter?**

**Crimzon: Aww, well why the rush? Anyways we gots ourselves another question and like I said, I don't mind answering questions so STOP APOLOGIZING! Haha I happen to like questions. Anyways, um not really actually. I'm trying to include them as much as I can in the story, but I tend to forget about them and completely keep them out of the story so yeah. I'll try to include them in this chapter, but I'm not used to writing as their character. I still have that problem with some characters haha. Sorry Sango and Miroku fans, I try and most of the time I fail so bear with me on this.**

**Izayoi: ok then well that's all for the questions and now CRIMZON DOESN'T OWN INUYASHA!**

**Akira: R&R PEOPLE!**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

I made my way to the Sacred Tree in order to meet up with Kouga. At this point, I was actually thinking about going back on the deal and evacuating the village, but I don't want to be a coward. I did this for a reason and that is to protect the ones I care about.

Without realizing it, I was already back at the Sacred Tree. I smiled up at the tree's scar where my father was sealed away. That's when I remembered the locket my grandma gave to me before I came here. I searched inside my kimono and pulled out the small golden heart-shaped locket. I opened and chuckled at the pictures of my mother and father. I remember reading in my mom's journal on how they got this picture and all the thanks goes to Uncle Sota.

"Glad you decided to show up, Izayoi." Chuckled Kouga. I turned and saw him standing among the trees, a few wolves standing around him, growling at me.

"Promise you won't go back on your word?" I asked.

"Don't worry. I'm one to keep his word. Now come with me," he began to disappear into the woods when I remembered something I wanted to ask him before leaving with him.

"Hey Kouga, what is it that you need me for anyway?"

"Hmm? I thought it would be obvious," he stopped and turned to look at me, "You know those odd looking demons that have been showing up lately?" he asked. I nodded, "Rumors spread fast around here and I heard about Kagome's daughter returning and breaking the Jewel. I also heard that you've been fighting these demons and killing them off with ease."

"Well, I wouldn't say with ease," I mumbled.

"Yes, but you are able to kill them off. I also heard that you managed to kill off a massive hoard of them before." When he said that, I remembered that one time before I was kidnapped, I defeated a massive group of them, but I also remembered the exhaustion I suffered from it. Had that not happened, I wouldn't have gotten captured and I wouldn't have shattered the jewel. Kouga noticed that I was hesitating and stepped closer to me. Before I knew it, he had picked me up and put me over his shoulder then sped off to the wolf demon den. He was incredibly fast and I almost lost my lunch, but I managed to keep it down. I then heard him laughing, "You know, when I first met Kagome, she screamed most of the way to the wolf den!"

I would have yelled something sarcastic in return, but I was concentrating too much on not falling off or losing my dinner.

**~General POV~**

The sun began to rise and its rays peered through the curtain like door. Akira was asleep up against a wall near Izayoi's futon while Shippo slept just across from it. Rin was asleep in the futon next to Izayoi's.

Inuyasha had woken up just before the sun rose and was standing outside. It was quiet and the morning mist was just settling among the trees. As the sun rose higher and higher past the mountains, the mist slowly became less thick. Inuyasha merely stood there with his arms folded. He was well aware that Izayoi had chosen to leave with Kouga. Knowing how impulsive he can be, it's shocking that he didn't try to stop her, but this is her choice. In a way, he's testing her abilities. She may be his daughter, but he isn't going to baby her and obviously, she doesn't want to be treated as such. She wants to get stronger with each fight and I can't hold her hand through that. Inuyasha knew what the whole deal was about and knew that Izayoi's choice was going to be one that none of them were going to agree on. It may seem like he doesn't care, but deep down, he's trying really hard not to just race over to the wolf demon den, beat every damn wolf to a bloody pulp and bring Izayoi back home.

Inuyasha came out of his mental ranting to notice a commotion inside the hut._ I'm guessing Akira and Shippo are awake._ He thought to himself. Before he had a chance to go inside and calm them down, Akira and Shippo came running outside, yelling.

"Izayoi's gone!" they yelled in unison.

"I know," he mumbled.

"What? Then why aren't you going after her?" yelled Akira. He was now grabbing onto Inuyasha's kimono, practically shaking him, "You're her father, how can you not be worried?" he yelled again. That's when Inuyasha snapped.

"Of course I'm worried!" he snapped. Akira jumped back in shock while Shippo just stood there, motionless. He was always afraid of Inuyasha's temper and even now, just hearing his voice rise like that caused him to feel paralyzed … especially what happened between the two when he was younger.

_~Flashback~_

"_How could you just leave her back there like that?" the young Shippo yelled at Inuyasha. Inuyasha had just jumped up from the well and was walking off into the forest when Shippo had run up to him. The young fox demon's eyes were red from crying and still, tears seemed to pour down his cheeks. He was hysterical and had no more rational thought. He leaped at Inuyasha and yelled fox fire. Flames of green fire shot out from his tiny hands and hit Inuyasha in the back. From the moment Inuyasha came back from the present, the part of him that was human and kind was locked away and his demon was in complete control. Without a second's hesitation, he turned and leaped at Shippo with his claws. He used Iron Reaver Soul Stealer on his own comrade. Shippo wasn't sure what happened at that moment except that he somehow managed to summon a vortex of fire to surround him, but it was only enough to shield him from most of the attack's power, but it wasn't strong enough to shield him from the attack completely. Shippo was fatally wounded and was lying in a pool of blood._

_~End Flashback~_

Had Miroku and Sango not stepped in that day, Shippo wouldn't be here today. He still had the scars to prove what happened, physical and mental scars. To this day, he was still afraid of Inuyasha.

"She can take care of herself. Don't you trust her, Akira?" asked Inuyasha. Akira stood there, speechless. Izayoi didn't trust him enough to tell him what she was going to do, but then again, she probably knew what my answer would be.

Inuyasha knew that Akira wouldn't be answering anytime soon and decided to take his leave.

"Where are you going Inuyasha?" Rin had run outside only to see Inuyasha walking into the forest.

"What's it look like to you?"

"It looks like you're leaving again," she mumbled. Inuyasha only turned for a second then left.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

It didn't seem like long until we reached the den of the wolves. Two wolf demons that were keeping guard up front waved over at Kouga then went back to keeping watch. Once we passed the waterfall, he set me down on the ground and I took a look around the inside of the den. Let's just say that if you have heightened senses, everything is basically doubled. The smell in here was horrible that I thought I was going to lose my lunch again. I noticed a lot of human bones on the ground and further ahead looked like it was a nest made of hay. Once the other wolf demons noticed my presence, they began whooping and hollering.

"Hey Kouga, got yourself another girl I see." Yelled one.

"Is she tonight's dinner?" asked another.

"What? She's a mere Half-Demon," said another. This was getting extremely annoying.

"This one is off limits. Lay one finger on her and you'll regret your decision," growled Kouga. He then led me all the way to the nest and practically threw me on it. I tripped and fell to my knees, "I doubt you slept well and I need you at your strongest. Sleep here for now and I'll come get you when you're needed," he said in a sincere tone. Now I'm thinking that this guy is just bipolar. I decided not to say anything and got comfortable. Judging by how many wolves were here in this cave and if I were to catch them off guard, I could easily escape, but I'm not one to go back on my word.

I curled up on one side with my knees close to my chest and one arm under my head as a pillow. I grabbed Lacrima with my other hand and held it close to me like a stuffed animal.

"Yo, Ginta, Hakkaku, get over here and keep an eye on Izayoi. Make sure the others don't try anything stupid." He yelled over at two wolf demons as he walked away. One of them was slightly bald with a pointy Mohawk and the other had white hair and a black patch of hair going down the center of his head. I decided not to pay much attention to them and closed my eyes, trying to let sleep take over. Before I knocked out, I overheard them talking.

"Check it out Ginta, she looks just like sis."

"You're right, she does look a little like Kagome, but she looks more like Inuyasha," replied Ginta, "Do you think what Kouga planned will go ok?" he asked.

"Duno, but is she strong enough to defeat so many of those strange demons?" replied Hakkaku. Well, I guess they don't have much faith in me. I got up on my elbows and noticed them sitting on the nest with their backs to me. I was about to say something when Ginta said something that just stopped me from speaking.

"I may not know Izayoi, but knowing how strong both Kagome and Inuyasha are, then I don't think he have any right to question her abilities. Kouga said that she came of her own free will, meaning that she's confident in her abilities and is strong enough to help us." He said. I smiled and turned onto my other side. As sleep began to take over, for a moment, I thought I was going to have a dreamless sleep … but I was dead wrong.

**Crimzon: HAHAHA I'M EVIL! I have left this at a cliffhanger! HAHAHA!**

**Akira: I say you should calm down.**

**Crimzon: I SAY YOU SHOULD CALM DOWN!**

**Akira: … I am calm.**

**Crimzon: Oh, ok then. Um, yeah, I was kind of rushed on this chapter but I'll try to update again soon … maybe tomorrow. So enjoy please and do me a favor and just click on the review button down below!**


	12. Chapter 12: Ayala

**Crimzon: Hey guys … yeah at first, I thought these chapters were going to be fillers, but in the end, they weren't rlly fillers since they managed to fit their way into the story so yeah and also, um I kind of feel bad for Shippo and him always being rejected by Izayoi.**

**Shippo: … you make me sound like a total wimp.**

**Crimzon: -sigh- anyway, ive been thinking of introducing another OC and well … I think u all know where I going with this so yeah, she makes her first appearance in this chapter.**

**Akira: … oh damn.**

**Crimzon: What?**

**Akira: I know what you're thinking.**

**Shippo: I don't.**

**Crimzon: That's cuz I don't own u, but I own Akira and Izayoi and they know what im thinking.**

**Shippo: … I feel out of the loop. Eh, I'll find out in a while I guess. CRIMZON DOESN'T OWN INUYASHA AND REVIEW!**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

Once again, I was back inside my soul, only this time, I wasn't running. I was already inside the barrier, standing in front of the jewel.

"_Izayoi,"_ mumbled my younger self. I turned and saw her standing there, looking paler than before. Damn, I completely forgot about finding the last jewel shard! Let's see, 1…2…3. I started counting back the days from the last shard I recovered and … well I lost track and now I'm completely lost, _"You don't have much time."_

"How long do I have now?" I asked, my voice failing me slightly towards the end.

"_Three days, four at the most,"_ she said, her voice getting shaky at the end, but that might be for a whole other reason than me. I looked around the barrier and noticed that my older demon self wasn't around.

"Where is…" she cut me off before I could finish.

"_She is waiting in the darkness. Waiting for me to weaken more so she might have more of a chance to break the barrier," _she stopped a moment and I noticed dark circles under her eyes. She was a lot for her to take, how much longer will she be able to handle the stress? At this rate, I don't think she'll be able to handle three days, let alone four, _"Listen Izayoi, there isn't much time and I don't think I'll have enough strength to bring you back here another time."_

"Wait, it's because of you that I constantly show up here?"

"_Yes, but this might be the last time Izayoi. Listen, the more power you use, the less time you'll have left, you must be careful and only use it when your very life is in danger. Don't use what power you have left carelessly, much less unnecessarily. You must hurry and leave that Wolf Den and find the last shard, at this rate, the Jewel-in its in-complete state- won't last much longer. It becomes more and more unstable as each day passes," _her voice started to become more faint and my vision was getting blurry again. Before blacking out completely, I took one last look into the abyss and saw my older self standing there with a sadistic smile, waving goodbye.

I woke up with a jolt, sweat falling down my forehead.

"Izayoi? You okay?" I heard Ginta's voice right next to me and realized him and Hakkaku were sitting near me to guard me from the other wolf demons. I looked over at the two and smiled, setting aside the real issue here, I had to get out of here and search for the remaining shard.

"I'm ok, so you guys must be Ginta and Hakkaku, right?"

"Yep. Kouga told us to make sure no one bothered you while you slept," answered Hakkaku. My mom was right in her journal, these two are sweet and, if my memory is correct, easily tricked. If I'm lucky, I could somehow trick these two into getting me out of here.

I sat there talking to them for a while, mostly about how I managed to get back and shattering the jewel again. I also told them about the time I had left. Only reason I told them that was so they can understand that whatever job Kouga had for me, would be impossible for me to pull off the way I am right now. Maybe if they gave me the chance to retrieve the last shard, then I could come back, but from what they told me, more and more of their comrades were being killed off each day by these demons. Instead of my plan working in my favor, it ended up working in their favor because I started feeling bad. Curse my conscious! As they told me everything that has happened, I began to think over my plan. Maybe these demons were the weak ones and if they are, then I could easily obliterate them in one shot, but that's when my younger self's words echoed in my head … there goes that idea. Maybe if I told them an easy way of killing them off, they'd help me fight them off instead of giving me all of the work. Yeah, that just might work, so the only thing I had to really do was tell Kouga about it. Hopefully he'd go for it.

"Listen Izayoi, Hakkaku and I both agree that it isn't fair of Kouga to be asking this much of you. It's up to you, if you wish, then Hakkaku and I can get you out of here and back with Akira and the others," whispered Ginta.

"He's right. Kagome was like a sister to us and before you were born, she made us promise to protect you if anything were to happen. Kouga even promised, but things have changed since that day and Kouga isn't thinking clearly," he stopped a moment and sighed, his voice getting lower, "We still hold our promise to Kagome. We'd rather fight off the demons ourselves then put you through this kind of danger."

Their words put a hole through my chest. They were willing to risk getting their asses kicked by Kouga just to get me out of here. I thought carefully about my answer, I didn't want to get them in trouble, but I also didn't want to risk lessening my time. Yeah, the second option made me sound selfish and that is something I am absolutely not. I decided on my answer, but before I could answer, someone's voice-whom I didn't recognize- rang out behind Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Well, well, well, plotting to help the captive escape now aren't we?" her voice rang like a bell and judging by her appearance, she was new, because I didn't remember reading about her from my mother's journal. She had blazing red hair flowing just past her waist. She had a white daisy tied to her hair, just above her pointed ear. She had armor similar to the other wolf demons, except the fur around her was pure white, not dark brown. Her eyes were a bright emerald. Actually, by how my mother described Ayame in her journal, this girl could be her splitting image.

"Ayala! Uh, when did you get here?" gasped Hakkaku. Who the hell was this chick?

"Father told me to come get the Half-Breed over there, but judging from what I just heard, you two were planning on helping her escape, weren't you?" her voice had gone from something like a melody to just plain sour. Shit, this was something I did not want. I wanted to repay these two from all the help they've given my mother in the past and that was exactly what I was going to do. I stood up abruptly with my right arm, casually hanging on Lacrima.

"You really think that I'd need the help of these two weaklings just to get out of this shit hole? If I wanted to escape, then I would have done so ages ago," I sneered. I looked down at the two wolf demons and winked to them in reassurance. It seemed like they were going to protest, but I stopped them by walking past them and stood directly in front of the demon called Ayala, "By the way, I'd be careful with what you say to me because I am known for losing my temper and trust me, it ain't pretty." For a moment, I think I got to her because her shocked expression gave it away, but she quickly covered it up by chuckling to herself.

"You don't realize who I am, do you? My name is Ayala, daughter of the head of the Wolf Demon Tribe. Perhaps you know my brother?" her brother? Wait a minute, her brother is Akira? "Well, actually, he's my twin. The only difference is that I'm the better and stronger twin." What she said shocked me, but I easily put it aside.

"Does it look like I give a damn? Look, I don't really care who you are or who you're related to. The only issue here is that your father personally came to me for help because obviously, neither of you are strong enough to handle the problem. Kouga, a full demon _and_ the leader of this tribe, asking me, a little 'ole Half-Breed for help," I chuckled. I could tell that I managed to piss her off since she was clutching her fist. For a moment, I thought she was going to ask for a fight, but instead, she unclenched her fist and turned towards the exit. Smart choice.

She then looked over her shoulder, "Whatever. Father is only taking precautions since he doesn't want to endanger the lives of the other wolves. That's the only reason you're here. Now if you would, follow me and I'll take you to my father. Another hoard is on its way here."

Without another word, I followed after her. Before stepping out of the cave, I looked over my shoulder at Ginta and Hakkaku, mouthing the word thank you. I then smiled and passed the waterfall towards my next battle.

**~At the top of a cliff, just above the wolf den~**

It was basically just awkward silence all the way up here. We were at the very top of the mountain with not one tree in sight, just dirt and rock. Hmm, perfect place for me to quick some demon ass. I noticed Kouga at the very edge of the cliff, staring off at the sunset. Once he noticed my presence, he turned and smiled … why did it look sad?

"You ready?" he asked. I nodded my head and un-sheathed Lacrima. Before anything else was said, I noticed the sky change. Just moment before, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and now, it was covered in dark clouds, completely shunning out the setting sun, they're here.

"You two should probably go back to the wolf den and help out the others, I'll handle this," I said as I walked past them, ready to attack the very first demon that spotted me. The sky was now covered in dark clouds and coming out of them were the freakish demons Michiru created. As I walked off, I felt someone's hand on my shoulder. I looked over and noticed Kouga and his daughter still here.

"I promised your mother I wouldn't let any harm come to you. I know that forcing you to do this goes against my promise, but I had no other choice. In order to make up for my cowardice and selfishness, I'm going to help you fight them off," he smiled that same saddening smile from earlier. I was in shock. Earlier, I had this guy pegged for a complete asshole, but now he was totally nice. I guess that deep down; he still had feelings for my mother. He then turned to his daughter, "Ayala, you go back down and help the others."

"No way! I'm helping you fight them off and nothing you say can change my mind!" she yelled. Kouga didn't say anything for a moment. He began walking away, towards the Cliffside and merely said one thing I didn't think a father would say to his daughter, "Suit yourself."

With nothing else left to say, the three of us waited for the hoard to come and attack. During those long moments of impatient waiting, I kept thinking, hoping that my decision wasn't a mistake and that everything was going to turn out just fine. For some reason, deep down, something was going to go horribly wrong. For a moment, I brushed away the feeling … until I took a good look at the demons arriving. Before, I thought that they were going to be the same ones I've been dealing with thus far, but these guys were the real deal. They had the same skull like heads, only this time, their horns looked like that of a ram's and the twisted down around their neck and down their spine, forming long spikes. Their tail was like that of a scorpion's and one of their arms was like that of a crab's. Their other arm was just pure muscle and the same thing for their legs. I'm guessing Michiru has modified them since the last time I fought them. When I first fought these guys, they were just different type of animal characteristics morphed together. Then the last time I fought them, they had miasma in them, and now, judging by their new characteristics, they're poisonous. One sting from that Scorpio tail of theirs and we're screwed.

"Guys, don't let these demons sting you and careful when you cut them, unless you like being engulfed by a large amount of miasma," I warned the two wolves. With that said, we leaped up into the air and straight into the hoard with only one thought in my mind, _I hope we can make it through this._

**Crimzon: Well … HAHA ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!**

**Shippo: you just love those, don't you?**

**Crimzon: Only when I cause them haha. Anywho review and I just might add another chapter later tonight! **

**Shippo: She's serious too!**

**Crimzon: Damn right I am! So yeah, click the little review icon down below … yeah that's right, you know what I'm talking about!**


	13. Chapter 13: Rain, Blood, & Tears

**Crimzon: Fuck yeah! I'm on a role with this!**

**Shippo: … yeah, yeah, good for you … when do I come back into the story?**

**Crimzon: You'll see. I DON'T OWN INUYASHA AND PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Akira's POV~**

Shortly after Inuyasha disappeared, it started getting cloudy. He had asked me if I trust Izayoi … do I? She promised she wouldn't leave again like the last time so is it wrong of me to not trust her anymore?

I hadn't really moved from where I was standing since Inuyasha left. I didn't really have anything to do but just stand there as the rain began pouring all around me.

"So what do we do now Akira?" asked Shippo. Right, I forgot he was still behind me. I guess I kind of forgot that he was standing behind me for a while now, asking me the same damn question. I guess it just finally registered in my mind. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Not sure," was all I managed to say. It was quiet for a moment until I heard the 'splash, splash' sound of Shippo stomping his way over to me. Next thing I knew, he grabbed my Kimono in his fists and practically lifted me off the ground.

"What the hell happened to you Akira? What happened to hauling ass over to Izayoi whenever she's in danger? Where you really sent here by Sesshomaru to protect her?" he yelled over the roaring thunder, "I think that this is the first time that Sesshomaru made a mistake in judgment because obviously, he made the wrong choice in picking a mutt like you."

He's right, what the hell happened to me? Sesshomaru picked me for a reason and that was because he saw something in me that the other wolf demons didn't.

I was still young when I left the tribe. Actually, I left shortly after mother died. They saw me as a traitor and a complete waste of space. I no longer belonged so I left. I never really learned how to care for myself so one day; I just collapsed in the middle of the forest, surrounded by starving demons.

_~Flashback~_

_I was weak and helpless. I had gone days without food and my body finally gave out on me. Only moment ago, I was running for my life from a hoard of demons, hunting for an easy meal: me. The adrenaline that had kept me going was finally running out and my legs buckled, causing me to fall face first into the muddy earth. The demons surrounded me in a circle and all I could really see was a shadowy wall of glowing red eyes. They were laughing at me, telling me how weak I was and how it would be better if I just gave up and become their next meal. I stayed on the ground, unable to move a muscle and all I could really hope for was that they would make my death quick and painless._

"_Giving up so easily?" an unrecognizable voice. I never saw him before until now. Long, flowing silver hair and eyes with a powerful glare that could kill. I used whatever strength I had left to turn my head and look up at him. He was standing next to me, lifting one of his arms into the air, his claws giving out a slight yellow glow. Then, his claws became longer and longer until they appeared whip like. He lowered his arm down to his side then in a flash; he lifted it in the air again, causing the whip to twirl around like a whirlwind around us, completely obliterating the surrounding demons. How strong was this guy?_

"_Why did you help him mi lord?" asked another demon. This one was smaller, a green imp demon, holding up a tall staff with two head carved into it. The demon didn't answer except he continued to stare down at me. He kneeled down to my level, "Lord Sesshomaru?"_

"_One whose eyes as lifeless as yours … you wish to die still?" he asked, but it didn't seem like much of a question to me. At first, I was just going to keep my mouth shut when suddenly, my mother's face flashed in my mind. Why? You don't want me to die yet, do you? I thought to myself and that's when I knew what my mother wanted. I looked past the demon named Sesshomaru and noticed my mother's form standing there, slightly glowing and smiling. She wanted me to live and not waste my life. I looked back up at the demon and said the only thing I could before passing out completely._

"_I don't want to die … not yet," I could have sworn that he smiled for a split second before everything went black._

_~End Flashback~_

He chose me to train for a reason and that was to protect Izayoi. Alright, time to get my sorry ass moving.

"You're right Shippo, I think it's time we start hauling ass to the wolf den," I said, looking down at him. He smiled slightly and we set off to my old home to fight alongside the one person I cared about right now.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

Fighting was starting to get difficult. Michiru had managed to harden the skin on these demons, making cutting them impossible for normal blades. At some point in the battle, the three of us met back down on the ground.

"We haven't even made a dent in their numbers!" exclaimed Kouga. He was right, we were fighting for over an hour now and we've only managed to defeat a couple of the hundreds out there and by defeating them, it was by total accident. We haven't been able to figure out their weak spot and the few we killed were just by mere accident. Now what? How are we going to be able to defeat them? The way we are now, there's no way, unless…

"Kouga, Ayala, I've got an idea. Round them up in a large group and lead them towards me, I've got an idea."

"What the hell are you thinking? You're just a mere Half-Breed, there's no way you'll be able to destroy such a large number of them with whatever it is you're planning!" exclaimed Ayala. Before she could say anything else, Kouga grabbed her arm and glared. As if he said something to her with his eyes, she nodded at him with a determined look and they jumped back up into the sky. I stayed on the ground, waiting for them to lead the demons this way. I stood there with Lacrima, concentrating as much of my power as I could into the blade.

I stood there, waiting, exhausted, and hoping my plan will work.

In the short moment that I stopped paying attention did I find myself completely surrounded by them. Kouga and Ayala were struggling against a few others that stayed behind. A little less than half were surrounding me. The rest of the hoard were still floating in the air, waiting their turn to fight one of us.

"_Master wishes for you to die."_

"_You must die."_

"_Die, weak little Half-Breed." _Their creepy voice echoed all around me and all I could really do was chuckle to myself. Before they could get any closer to me, I let instinct take over. I jammed Lacrima's blade directly into the ground. For a moment, I felt like my body was moving on its own. It felt like everything was in slow motion and next thing I knew, there was a blinding light and then, an explosion. The ground shook like an earthquake and bits of rock flew about. In the spot where Lacrima was, was a beam of light that spread out into different, smaller beams, each impaling the demons one by one. Slowly, each one began to disintegrate into ash.

I opened my eyes and saw that all the demons that surrounded me were gone and nothing was left but ash. For a moment, I was relieved that I managed to kill of so many at once, but then the exhaustion overtook me and I fell to my knees. I looked around me and noticed Kouga and his daughter still struggling with their fight. I looked back up into the sky and noticed there was still a lot of them left. No way was I going to have enough strength left to use that attack again, I could barely get back up on my feet. Damn, now what!

Before I had a moment to think of another plan, I noticed three of the demons coming at me and I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline run through my veins. I guess I still got some fight in me … good. Ignoring the pain and exhaustion, I jumped up and grabbed Lacrima. As the first one slammed into the earth in front of me, I jumped back a few inches then jumped forward. Using that as leverage, I held Lacrima off to one side and-with the intention of cutting the demon in half at the abdomen-struck the demon. Of course, I forgot the demon's skin was hard as steal and my blade only bounced back, causing me to become off balanced. The demon noticed I was about to fall flat on my ass and swung its muscle like arm at me. Before it hit me, I bent backwards, avoiding its arm completely. I then did a back flip only to slam right into another one of the demons. With a slight (and embarrassing) squeak, I jumped up into the air. I looked down that the scorpion like tail was jammed into the very same spot where I was just at. Well, that was close. As I began to fall back to the ground, I positioned myself just right so I ended up landing on one of their heads then using that as leverage to jump off. The impact caused one of the demons to head-butt the other demon, making the two toppling over. I chuckled playfully and jumped up again and just when I think I'm in the clear for another attack, I feel a presence directly behind me. I knew it was the third demon and before I could turn around mid-air and give it a good kick to the ribs, it jerked out its claw like arm at me, forcing me into the ground. I blacked out for a moment, but I then opened my eyes to find myself pinned to the ground, its claw was clasped around my neck, making escape impossible for me. Upon the impact, I dropped Lacrima and it had slid away from me. It was only a few inches from me, but I couldn't reach it. I looked up at the three demons, towering over me, laughing at my feeble attempts to escape their clutches. I could hear Kouga's cries in the distance. Was this it for me? Am I really that weak?

I looked over to my sword-so close and yet so far-then back over at the demons and saw that the one pinning me down was going to go for one final attack. It raised its tail up above its head and was about to finish me off when suddenly, a curved like blade was swung just above the demon's head in a flash and its tail came flying off, green blood splattered all over the place.

The demon roared in pain and released me from its grip. The other two demons were momentarily distracted and that gave me the chance to escape. I sprang to my feet and slid over to my sword. I kneeled on one knee, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Then, the demons turned their attention back to me and before they had a chance to move an inch, I heard a familiar voice yell out something and they burst into green flames.

"Geez Izayoi, you're completely lost without us," his voice came from right behind me. I turn and I saw Akira standing with one arm swung over his shoulder, holding his scythe. Tears came to my eyes and without realizing it; I jumped up and hugged him. Since he still had his grip on his weapon, he hugged me back by wrapping his free arm around my waist.

"Hey, I'm here too ya know!" exclaimed Shippo. I turned from Akira and ran to hug him too. Still awkward, but not as much as before.

"What are you guys…" before I could finish, Akira interrupted.

"Protect you obviously. Look, this can all wait until later. For now, let's kick some demon ass!" said Akira. He then glanced over at his father and sister and noticed them being overwhelmed by the demons. He raced over to them and, using his scythe, cut off the demon's tails as well. That's when I realized it, their weak spot.

"Everyone, aim for their tails, that's their weak spot!" I shouted. The tables have just been turned in our favor.

With the new knowledge, we fought without a problem … actually; there was still just one problem … the sheer number of them.

With Lacrima held at one side, I ran to one and ran the blade through its tail like a knife through butter. Before it even reacted to the pain, again, I ran my blade through the demon's back, causing more and more blood to spill out. Their scorpion tails are what gave them their armor like skin, without them though; they were just like the ones from before.

This continued until their numbers dwindled. Just when we think that it's almost over, I'm proved wrong once again. Out of the cloud came dozens more of them … no, there were too many to count.

"I-I don't think I can handle any more of this. Why are there so many of them?" gasped Ayala. She was out of breath, we all were. How many more were going to appear?

"To think, ever since we were little, you always bragged about being the best and now look at yourself sis. You think that these demons are going to defeat us so easily?" complained Akira. Before anyone said anything, it was Shippo's turn to gasp.

"Sis?"

"Like I said, we'll talk later."

Ignoring the both of them, I stare up at the demon covered sky and then, I saw the one person I wished I wouldn't see for a while … Michiru.

"Been a while, hasn't it, Izayoi?" she sneered. I felt anger and fear flowing through me, "She's still valuable to me so hurt her all you want, just make sure she's still breathing," she said to the surrounding demons. Her laughter echoed in the sky as her form began to become transparent and then … gone. She wasn't really here. The moment she disappeared, all of the demons charged at us. With no other option left, the five of us stood our ground.

"Why'd you come back Akira?" asked Kouga.

"Not for you if that's what you're saying."

"Hmph," huffed Kouga. He then mumbled a few words that Akira didn't hear, but I did. He said he was glad Akira came back. I looked back up into the sky, only to see the demons inching closer and closer. This is it, this could end us.

Before any of us jumped in for the attack, I sensed someone approaching. Not just me, but everyone did since we all took a glance behind us and there he was. In a flash of red and white, he ran past us and stood with his back to us and right before the approaching demons. He unsheathed his Tetsaiga and with one swing, yelled one thing.

"WIND SCAR!"

There it was again, a flash of light, only to me; it looked like a wave of lightning obliterating the hoard, leaving nothing left. Father … he's strong, stronger than I expected. From all of the stories that I read in my mother's journal, she explained how the Wind Scar looked like and the one that was used before us looked one hundred times as powerful.

"Father…" I murmured. He turned and smiled.

"Am I always going to be getting you guys out of trouble?" he snickered in a nonchalant tone. Next thing I knew, we all started laughing. Kouga and Inuyasha began yelling at each other and next thing I knew, it led to an argument. The rest of us decided to just let them be. There was just one problem, I couldn't get rid of this gut feeling that something was going to go wrong, but I couldn't figure out why. From what I could tell, there weren't any more of those demons. I was searching frantically, trying to sense any trace of their presence, but nothing. Akira noticed my uneasiness since I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just … I don't know. Something feels off, I can't explain it," I said, a slight shiver ran down my spine and it showed in my voice.

"I don't feel anything, maybe you're just tired," added Shippo.

"Yeah, maybe you're still feeling alert from the fight. Watch, any moment, you're going to pass out like always," joked Akira. I glared up at him and punched him playfully on the shoulder. I guess I am feeling paranoid.

"_You're right to be paranoid Half-Breed."_ A voice began going off in my mind. The shock brought me to my knees, clutching my hands to my head. I noticed that Inuyasha and Kouga stopped arguing since it went quiet and then my father was kneeling right in front of me, asking me what was wrong. The pain was so bad, I wasn't able to respond.

"Why?" I managed to say. Father thought I was talking to him and responded.

"Why what? What's wrong?" he practically yelled but he voice was all muffled. I noticed everyone crowding around me, yelling my name, asking what was wrong. Akira was kneeling next to me, asking the same questions my father and everyone else were asking. 'Are you alright?' and 'What's wrong?'

"_Yes Half-Breed, are you alright? Let's hope not because in a few moments, you definitely won't be."_ Was the last thing the voice said before disappearing completely. The pain was gone the moment the voice was and before I could tell the others what had just happened, I felt a presence near us.

It all happened in a flash. First, I turned to see another one of those Scorpio demons. Next, it detached its own tail and flung it at us, no, not us … it was aimed at me. One sting and I'm a goner. It was too late to dodge, let alone block. It all happened so fast that the only thing I managed to register at that moment was that the only person who managed to react quickly enough was the one person I was hoping wouldn't. He jumped in front of me, shielding from the inevitable. He protected me in an embrace and finally, the scorpion tail stabbed him right in the back, injecting its deadly poison.

"W-Why?" was all I managed to say. His voice came out in short gasps, but still he managed to keep a smile on his face. He body began going limp in my arms as he fell forward. All I could really do was pull the stinger out from his back and lay him on his back while I had his head lifted in my arms.

"I promised to protect you from harm," he coughed. Blood began seeping from his eyes … a replacement for tears. He coughed more and more blood, only for it to land on me. Blood began to fall out of his ears and then down his nose.

"No, no, you can't leave me!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face and landing on his cheek. He smiled weakly at me and placed his hand on my cheek.

"I'll never leave you, my precious Izayoi … I l-love … you …" his skin became pure white as more and more blood seeped out. At this point, everyone was crowding around us, yelling his name, telling him to hang on, but it was no use. I grabbed his hand on my cheek and held it there and I noticed how cold his skin had become. His arm became weak and was falling from my grasp and his life force began to slowly disappear.

"No, no, NO, DON'T DIE!" I found myself yelling. So many tears fell from my eyes that they began to blind me. He didn't answer me this time, instead he stayed silent. I loosened my grasp on his hand and it fell down to the ground, splashing into a tiny puddle that had formed of both rain, blood, and my tears. I started shaking his shoulder, telling him, yelling at him to wake up, but he stayed silent. I couldn't believe it, I refused to believe it … he was gone … my father was dead.

**Crimzon: Sorry guys, I ended up falling asleep yesterday so I couldn't update last night … also, on another note … I started tearing up a bit at the end.**

**Akira: Holy crap, I can't believe he was the one you killed off!**

**Shippo: Psh, yeah! I thought she was going to kill you off!**

**Akira: HEY!**

**Crimzon: Well then, review everyone!**


	14. Chapter 14: Numb

**Crimzon: Wazzup! Hey everyone, yeah it kind of took me a bit to figure out what to do next but yeah, the fillers are basically over, but I don't think those chapters should be fillers since they somehow made their way into the main plot … I tend to do that sometimes without realizing it so … yay!**

**Akira: … I still thought you were going to kill me off.**

**Crimzon: don't think I wasn't planning on it, but then I got a better idea so instead … yeah, I'd rather not say it since it makes me sad.**

**Inuyasha: what? Killing me off?**

**Crimzon: DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO KILL OFF YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER?**

**Akira: You're the writer here, not us.**

**Crimzon: … good point, though it was still hard … and now im over it.**

**Inuyasha: You cold-hearted b***h**

**Crimzon: That's what I'm known for, now I DON'T OWN INUYASHA AND PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~Akira's POV~**

The thunder and lightning had finally stopped, but the rain continued to fall down from the heavens. We all stood there, still in shock. Izayoi hadn't moved a muscle and was still holding onto her father's dead body. I couldn't see her face for her hair covered it in shadow. I noticed Shippo on his knees, fists and jaw clenched. No matter how hard he tried to hold back, tears still managed to seep through. Kouga and Ayala stood there, not saying a word. Ayala hasn't known Inuyasha until today, but any death shook her. Father was just as upset since he looked to Inuyasha as a friend … or a rival.

The rain continued to shower us in its sorrow and I realized that we can't just leave Inuyasha like this, not here. The problem here is moving Izayoi. I crouched down next to her, my hand on her shoulder.

"Izayoi, we can't stay here," I said, my voice came out in only a whisper. Shippo looked up at me and realized that it was time to leave. He composed himself and walked over to kneel near her.

"He's right, we have to leave now. It's time to let go, Izayoi," he said. We tried to pry her arms away but the moment we did, she turned to us, anger plastered on her tear streaked face.

"NO! I'm not going anywhere!" she screamed and tightened her grip on her dead father. This isn't going to be easy.

"We can't leave him like this, we have to move him," said Kouga. Izayoi's shoulders were shaking as more tears escaped her. I don't have much of a choice here except force her which is something I'd rather not do. I looked up at my father and nodded. As if he knew what I was thinking, he grabbed hold of Izayoi's shoulders and lifted her up on her feet. What she did at that moment caught me off guard. She un-sheathed her sword and swung the blade at my father. Sensing danger, he quickly jumped away before her blade hit.

"_Don't you dare touch me, filthy wolf," _her voice, it was different. It wasn't her voice and it scared me to think that the Izayoi I know and love could sound so frightful. The mere shock of Inuyasha dying before her very eyes must have given her inner demon the chance it wanted to take over. This isn't good, I have to stop her.

"What the. . ." I heard Kouga gasped as Izayoi launched forward and started attacking my father. All of her attacks were basically swinging the blade in a frantic motion, not one landing a shot, easy enough to dodge.

"What the hell is going on with her?" gasped Shippo.

"Her demon half, it's taking over. Shippo, help me keep her still so I can stop it before she's completely lost!" without any other question asked, Shippo dashed forward and grabbed Izayoi around her waist, tackling her to the ground. She dropped Lacrima as both she and Shippo slid on the ground. Both of them were now caked in mud.

"_Let me go, fox!" _she practically growled as she elbowed him in the stomach. He was stunned and it gave her the chance to grab his arm, pull it over her shoulder and flip him onto his back. The air was literally knocked out of him.

I couldn't take much more of this. Without a second's thought, I leapt forward, intending to catch her off-guard, but her senses caught on to me. The moment I was inches away, she jabbed me in the gut then swung her leg, kicking me hard in the ribs, sending me flying close to where Shippo was. I looked up at her and her eyes were a deep red while her hair had changed to a white shade.

I got up to one knee and before I could attack again, a white vortex of wind began to surround her. I didn't have to think twice to know what it was. Ayala was controlling it. She had a small green leaf held up to her lips as she whistled. It came out in a low humming sound. The vortex grew smaller and smaller, giving little room to move. Izayoi was trapped in it, she no longer could move, let alone attempt to escape.

I could hear her screams, but they weren't of pain or fear but frustration. I had a feeling that she was going to attempt to burst through the vortex and attack with all she's got. I nodded over to the staggering Shippo and he nodded in return then backed away. I stood my ground and got ready for her escape.

After a few seconds, my prediction came true. She burst through one side of the vortex and ran in my direction. I kept still, waiting for the precise moment to strike. Had she'd been herself, she would have seen what I was about to do, but at the moment, this wasn't Izayoi.

She raised one of her arms and was about to swing her arm and claw my face when I sidestepped at the last second. I appeared behind her and, using the palm of my hand, slammed it hard at the back of her neck. She stumbled forward and had already gotten up on one knee when I kneeled before her and placed my hand on her head. A slight glow emanated from my hand and her eyes went blank as she slipped into unconsciousness.

"What the hell did you do?" gasped my father as he walked over.

"Put her to sleep. She should be herself when she wakes up again." I looked over and my eyes landed on Inuyasha's lifeless body.

"What now?" Asked Shippo as he began to lift up Izayoi in his arms. I looked back at him.

"You guys take her back inside the wolf den, she should be safe there."

"And you?" asked my father.

"I cant leave him here, not like this," I said. I walked over and picked up Inuyasha and made my way back to the village.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

I felt numb . . . completely numb. I was floating around in a lifeless space, completely dark and completely alone. Seconds ticked by and it took me a while to realize that I was back inside my soul . . . how? I thought that my human side wouldn't be able to bring me back here another time.

"_I didn't bring you here . . . you did,"_ I heard her small voice from below me and I floated down to see the barrier. Instead of opening a way for me, she kept it closed. _"Witnessing your father die in such a gruesome way caused you to fall apart. It's only natural for you to want to escape the reality of it."_

"Oh . . ." was the only thing I could say. I couldn't feel much emotion other than complete hopelessness, loneliness, sadness. I looked over at my human self and realized that she hadnt let me pass the barrier.

"_I'm sorry, but I cant let you in. Losing your father was too much for you to handle and so your demon has begun to take you over. I cannot let you pass without risk of the demon getting by as well." _She paused a moment and gave me a sad stare. _"Do not hide from your reality Izayoi, for it is the only thing that is holding you together. Continue to hide from your sorrow and any hope of restoring the jewel shall be lost."_ She sighed and was about to say something else when she gave a small gasp and I looked over my shoulder. I noticed a sharp blade from a familiar sword held up against my neck. An arm looped around my waist and held me still.

"_Don't listen to her Izayoi. Your mother is dead and now, so is your father. What's the point in fighting it when you can embrace it. The anger, the furry, the power. It can all be yours and then, you'll no longer feel pain. Let me take over and you can go into an everlasting sleep without fear or pain," _she still had the blade held up against my neck as she leaned down from behind me and had her chin resting on my shoulder. She was right . . . what's the point? Before I could respond, my demon half sneered in pain and jumped back to run into the darkness.

"_You're waking up. A word of caution . . . don't return here until you've recovered the final piece to the jewel. You cant give her another chance to take you over. You were lucky this time but I cant say the same if you return here."_ For a small child, she spoke to me like an adult. She smiled, _"I believe in you Izayoi and I know that your mother and father wouldn't want you to be like this . . ."_ her voice began to fade as I began to wake up. Had I not know better, I could have sworn that she began crying the moment I felt tears slide down my cheek.

**Crimzon: It's short, but it's something. I hope you guys liked it and please review.**

**Izayoi: You ok?**

**Crimzon: Not feeling good . . . SO YOU GUYS BETTER REVIEW!**

**Izayoi: . . . Oh yeah, you're ok. Review everyone if you wish to know what happens next. This fanfic is getting close to ending. Only four more chapters to go! (maybe, I don't know)**


	15. Chapter 15: Emotions

**Crimzon: Hiya peoples! Sorry it took me this long to update again. I've been preocupied with my other stories. Um, hmm well that's it. Enjoy this chappie and I own nothing, only plot and OCs. **

**Akira: You seem calm . . . why?**

**Crimzon: . . . -eye twitches- **

**Izayoi: Ah shit, she had pineapple. EVERYONE, RUN FOR IT!**

**Shippo: -at the grocery store- Geeze, why am I stuck with the shopping? -hears distant explosion- Hmm, looks like it's coming from the house . . . I don't think it'll be safe if I go back right now -sweatdrop-**

**~Izayoi's POV~**

I woke up and found mysef back in the wolf den on the nest made of hay. I was awake for about ten minutes and I was pretending to still be sleeping. I had my back facing the others so they wouldn't be able to tell. From what I could tell from all the echoes, all the wolves that were here were probably outside. Shippo, Ayala, Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku were the only ones in here. Oddly enoug, I didn't hear Akira's voice.

"How much longer do you think she'll sleep?" asked Ayala in an annoyed tone. God I hated her!

"Give her some time. She witnessed her own father die right before her," answered Kouga.

"Poor girl, she's gone through so much in such a short amount of time," commented Ginta. I could already feel tears well up in my eyes again as I thought back to earlier. All the blood, my father's blood. I then realized something and carefully looked at the front of my kimono . . . covered in dry blood.

It was quiet again and then I heard footsteps echo as someone walked into the cave.

"How'd it go?" asked Shippo. I perked my ears so I could hear whoever it was in the cave.

"Obviously not well. They uh, burried him next to Kagome," answered Akira, his voice low. I clenched my fists, trying not to jump up and run into his arms. "Has she woken up at all?" he asked.

"No," answered Shippo. It was quiet again until Ayala began talking.

"So, brother, mind explaining why you're hanging around _them_?" she asked with a sneer.

"Do you really think _now_ is a good time to be asking stupid questions?" he spat.

"Well, I don't think my question is stupid. All I want to know is why you ditched us for them?" she asked again, more malice in her tone.

"You just never stop do you? I didn't leave, you guys kicked me out! If I recal, even you blamed me for what happened to mom!" he argued. I don't think I've ever heard him sound this angry before. After he said that, I heard Ayala suck in a breath and, I'm assuming, stormed out of the cave. Shockingly enough, I didn't hear Kouga say anything. I guess it wasn't his place to stand in when a brother and sister are argueing.

It was quiet again until I heard a low rustling sound near me. Kuromaru walked around over to me and sat there staring straight at me, head cocked. Slowly, I brought my finger to my lips and blew, telling him to be quiet about me being awake. Almost as if he understood, he gave a slight nod and curled up next to my stomach.

An hour passed, or at least, it felt like an hour.

"Let's step outside for some food. I sent the wolves hunting earlier, so the meat should be roasting over the fire right now," said Kouga.

"Alright, come on Akira, let her rest," I heard Shippo say once the echos of footsteps exited the cave. I'm guessing that was Ginta and Hakkaku following Kouga out.

"Nah, I'm not hungry. You go on ahead."

"You sure?" he asked. After a few seconds of silence, I heard Shippo walk out and it was not just Akira, Kuromaru and I in the cave.

"Alright Izayoi, I know you're awake," he spoke. I guess I shouldn't be shocked that he knew. Without a word, I slowly sat up to look at him.

"How long did you know?" I asked.

"Since I came back. I can tell by how you breath," he said. I didn't say anything, instead I nodded and looked back down at my lap.

"Um, I'm kind of hungry . . ." I mumbled, but for some reason, I was having a hard time getting the words out.

"Right, come on. Everyone's outside eating," he said as he got up from the rock he was sitting on. He walked over to me and held out his hand. I took it and he pulled me up. I stumbled a bit and almost fell when he caught me.

"Sorry, my leg's asleep …" There wasn't any emotion in my voice … none at all.

"Izayoi …" I looked up at the sound of his voice and next thing I knew, he was hugging me. "Forgive me, Izayoi …"

"Akira …" I stared right into his eyes, trying to ask him why he was apologizing. I couldn't find my voice to ask. His eyes looked glassy, as if he was about to shed a tear. Just the, he was about to say something when someone walked into the cave.

"Well, looky here. A certain little half-demon is awake and getting a little cozy with my brother," she sneered. "You should feel ashamed. Your father just died and yet, you seem to be taking it well," she added. Akira and I were already on our feet and … I couldn't respond to her words.

"Damnit Anya, what is it with you?" snapped Akira, "Why are you being such a bi…" I'm not sure when or how, but I made my way over to where Ayala was standing and slapped her across the face. I felt tears stinging my eyes as I glared at her and then ran out of the cave and into the nearby forest.

**~At a clearing not far off from the wolf den~**

Why? Why wasn't I feeling anything? No emotion, nothing! I fell down to my knees, one hand was clutching Lacrima while the other clutched the grass.

"_You've sealed away your emotions,"_ for a moment, I thought it was my human self talking to me, but I was wrong. It was just a voice inside my head. _"You feel that your emotions will only get in your way in your final battle," _it said again. "_What you don't realize is that even though they may get in your way, they can be helpful."_

"What do you mean?" I heard myself say.

"_Your emotions are what make you human."_ That was the last thing it said when I heard Akira's breathing. He had probably run after me when I bolted.

"Izayoi … you sure you're okay?" he asked. I merely stared back at him. I couldn't move and … I couldn't feel. How do I unlock my emotions? I then noticed that his sycthe was still on the harness on his back.

"Akira? What was it you were trying to say, back at the den?" I asked, out of the blue. His eyes widened for a moment and then turned serious.

"Before your father died … in the split second that that demon appeared and threw his tail, I was about to jump in when Inuyasha … he grabbed onto my shoulder, said something, then …" I could tell that he was having a hard time getting the words out.

I'm not sure why then, I guess I was letting instinct take over. I jumped up to my feet, unsheathed Lacrima and attacked Akira. His senses caught up to my intentions and he quickly brought out his sycthe and both our weapons collided with a loud *clink* sound.

"What the hell? Izayoi, this isnt like you!" he gasped as I pushed him back.

"You know, we've never had a sparring match. I guess now's as good as time as any. What do you think, Akira?" I asked as I smiled down at the ground and yet, I'm sure my eyes held a different expression. He gave me a shocked expression and then, he became stern and took his stance.

**Crimzon: Yeah, yeah, it's short, but hey, it's something so review and I'll give you the best damn fight I can write.**

**Izayoi: … why am I fighting Akira?**

**Crimzon: All will be made clear next chapter **

**Izayoi: … ok?**

**Akira: … why are we outside?**

**Izayoi: Because of the incident earlier, the inside is a mess and is currently getting cleaned so we have to do the commentary from outside. –glared at Crimzon-**

**Crimzon: Hey, you guys should know better than to leave pineapple where I can find it.**

**Akira & Izayoi: We didn't! -glares at shippo-**

**Shippo: Guilty as charged ;P**

**Crimzon: Thank you shippo XD Anywho, please review or I shall eat more pineapple!**

**Akira & Izayoi: …. PLEASE REVIEW, WE BEG YOU!**


	16. Chapter 16: What Shall You Do?

**Crimzon: Sorry everyone, I actually had no fucking clue how to continue this. I went back and read that previous chapter and all I could think was, 'who's bright idea was this?' and so yeah. Ugh, I can work with it somehow I guess. Um, also, no. Miroku and Sango arent dead. I just cant write as their characters very well. Prrty sure I mentioned that a few chapters back. Also . . . CONGRATS TO **_**'kagomethebeautifulmiko'**_**! Haha that's awsome, but mood swings are scary. A cuzin of mine has a shorter temper than me and when she got pregnant . . . lets just say we had to keep her away from anything she could use as a weapon.**

**Izayoi: . . . you have a crazy family.**

**Crimzon: Yeaaah I do.**

**Izayoi: um . . . CRIMZON DOES NOT OWN INUYASHA! READ AND REVIEW PEOPLE!**

**~Shippo's POV~**

I was sitting around a campfire just outside the wolfden, waiting for the meat to cook. That's when I saw Izayoi run right out of the cave and into the woods. Shortly after, I saw Akira follow after her. I stood up abruptly, about to go after them when I saw Ayala walk out of the cave. Why do I get the feeling that she did something to piss her off?

"Yo, Ayala!" I walked over when I noticed her face covered in shadow. That's when I started to get a weird vibe. The same kind of vibe that I'd get whenever one of those demons were near. It didn't take me long to put two and two together. "A-Ayala?" Right as I say her name, she looked up with blood red eyes and then, she attacked.

**~Akira's POV~**

**(A/N: I AM HORRIBLE AT FIGHT SCENES . . . I CAN NOT STRESS THAT ENOUGH)**

In truth, I don't think _now_ is such a good time to be fighting, but if that's what it takes for Izayoi to get back to her senses, then so be it.

She was the first to attack. She sprinted forward and I did the same. Seconds before we collided, I fell back and slid, attempting to trip her. She caught on to my plan and jumped up into the air then dove down and swung her sword. I brought up my scythe and blocked the blade then pushed her away. I got back to my feet.

What the hell is wrong with her? She's fighting with no emotion. No snide comments, nothing. Is she really serious? I didn't want to hurt her, so I tossed aside my weapon.

"Give up already?" she asked, all emotion gone.

"No. I wont need my weapon in order to beat you." That probably hit a nerve considering she sneered then tossed aside Lacrima.

"Fine then." She then jumped forward and attempted to punch me when I ducked then did a round hous kick aimed at her head. She caught my leg the tried to throw me, but I had dug my fingers into the ground to keep me in place. I pulled back my leg then kicked her square in the stomach. She let out a sharp gasp then brushed it aside as she rushed forward again. She's not even fighting rationally anymore. Now, she just fighting without and fire. She doesn't care if she's harmed, just so long as she feels some kind of pain. She wants to prove to herself that she is still capable of feeling something. This isnt the way Izayoi.

Right when she was inches away from me, she threw a right hook and caught me right in the jaw. I didn't even bother with trying to block. I finally figured out why she wanted to fight . . . theres no reason for me to fight back anymore. She then threw another punch, then another and another. I didn't bother with blocking those either. I just took it.

"Why arent you fighting back!" she yelled angrily. I merely stared down at her. I noticed that tears had begun to sting her eyes. "Fight back damnit!" she punched me again and I tasted blood. I was quiet, waiting for her to get back to her senses. She was now out of breath as tears ran down her cheek.

"Done?" I asked. My cheeks were swollen from her punches. She didn't say anything except stare up at me with wide eyes. I sighed and reached out to hug her. Instead, she slapped away my arms and backed away.

"Why? Why didn't you fight back?" she yelled again. That's when I snapped.

"Do you hear yourself right now? Snap out of it!" I don't think I've ever raised my voice to her like this considering she looked taken aback. "Izayoi, what the hell are you doing? Why are you like this? I know your father wouldn't want you to be like this! He died protecting you . . . is this how you repay him? By acting like some crazy lunatic?"

She was looking down at the ground, her shoulders trembling.

"I-I don't know . . ." she murmured. I could tell, she only wanted to escape the reality of it. She thought that a fight with me would get her mind off it, but that only made it worse. Shesealed away her emotions completely. I walked closer to her and brought my arms around her.

"Don't let the fear and pain consume you . . . let it out." Her hands gripped my kimono then the forest echoed with her cries of sorrow.

**~Shippo's POV~**

"Fox Fire!" I snapped my fingers then a trail of green fire incircled the approaching Ayala. She must have gotten possessed during the battle with the demons.

"What the hell is happening to her?" Kouga questioned.

"She's possessed," was all I could say. Damn, if only Rin were here. How are we supposed to help her? The other wolves seemed confused at what was happening to their fellow demon. At that moment, I realized that maybe Izayoi could do something. She managed to bring back Akira when he was possessed so maybe she could bring abck Ayala. I turned and called out to Ginta and Hakaku. "Guys, go get Izayoi and Akira!" without any hesitation, the nodded and sped off into the forest.

**~Izayoi's POV~**

I was feeling better . . . sorta. I was sniffling now with a hiccup here and there. Akira didn't once loosen his grip, probably thinking that I could collapse at any time. Automatically I felt guilty for punching him over and over. Once I felt calm enough, I reached up with my shaky hand and placed it on his bruised cheek.

"Sorry." He smirked and put his hand over mine.

"Don't worry about it."

We stood there for lord knows how long when we decided to start heading back. Once we had our weapons in hand, we started to make our way back to the wolf den when I sensed something was wrong and then I caught their scent. Soon, they were in sight.

"Ginta? Hakaku? What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly worried that something has happened.

"It's Ayala . . ." one said, out of breath.

"She's been possessed." Finished the other.

"What?" gasped Akira. We gave each other a look then raced back to the wolf den.

**~Shippo's POV~**

Ok, they were taking too damn long in getting back. I can hold her off for only so long.

"Kouga, if I were you, I'd get everyone out of here!" I ordered.

"Why? She's my daughter and we don't abandon our own!" he snapped.

"Really? First of all, I've been dealing with these things for a while longer than you. Second, I've been possessed before and I know how to fend her off and three, you abandoned your son just fine, what makes Ayala so special?" I think that was the first time I ever defended that mangy wolf . . . great, now I'm starting to sound like . . . Inuyasha.

Kouga looked taken aback from my words and merely nodded in the end.

"All right men, fall back!" he ordered to the other demons.

"But Kouga, what about . . ."

"I said fall back!" he intterupted. The others did as commanded and ran off into the woods. For a moment, I thought that he was going to turn tail and run too, but instead, he stayed behind. "You better know what you're doing, puny fox."

"Keh, well of course." Ayala stood within in the green flames and smirked. She took out a leaf then brought it to her lips. I then heard a high pitch whistle in the air around us and the fire I created started to vanish. What? She started walking towards us as she continued to whistle, but this time, the pitch changed. Suddenly a whirlwind formed on either side of her and then, right when she raised out her other arm, pointing in our direction, the whirlwinds sped towards us.

"Out of the way!" Kouga yelled as he pushed me aside. He then spun around on one foot and kicked at the air with his other. Right then, another whirlwind appeared and collided with the two, canceling them out. Well, that's new. "I thought you knew what you were doing?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone. Alright, maybe I don't . . . but I'm not admiting that.

"Well, whatever. Let's try to weaken her first," I replied. I sprinted forward and mumbled 'fox fire' under my breath. Over the years, I managed to find a way to control my fox fire and managed to fit that in with close combat. The flames engulfed my fists as I punched through another whirlwind Ayala had created. Once I was inches from her, I crouched down and attempted to trip her. Instead, she jumped up and spun in the air, still blowing into the leaf. As she did that, a twister formed from under her, aimed at me. That's when I found out a way to save Ayala. I put my fists together, along with the fox fire, then combined them into a ball of fire and shot it up at the twister. It was then consumed in flame. Ayala snickered a bit, but she had no idea what I was planning. Her little wind was now under my control. Instead of coming down to crush me, the twister went in in the opposite direction to engulf Ayala. She didn't have time to react, instead, she screamed in pain.

"What the hell did you do!" yelled Kouga. I ignored him. As Ayala fell to the ground, the twister dissipated. She was lying there, still. Suddenly, a dark shadow seemed to detatch from her body and hang around in the air above us. I rushed forward and picked her up in my arms then fell back and handed her to Kouga. "H-How did you?" he gasped.

"No time, we have to get out of here before that thing tries to attack." I pratically shouted. Kouga nodded and we started to make our way into the forest. Right at that moment, I noticed Izayoi and the others approaching us. She seemed back to her old self . . . thank goodness. She jumped over us and ran in the direction of the shadow like cloud. She unsheathed Lacrima and swung it, releasing a giant wave of energy that collided with the shadow. It screamed in pain as it slowley began to dissapear.

**~General POV~**

For mere moments, they were all smiles. Izayoi turned around and waved at the small group, reasuring them that everything was ok now. Still, everything seemed too easy to her and then, she got that strange feeling again. She turned and saw that the cloud was still there and in its shadows, she saw Michiru's face. Suddenly, all around, you could hear her manic laughter. Right when the laughter started to die down, a shadow tendril shot out of the cloud and stabbed Izayoi right in the chest, mere inches from where the jewel was.

She fell to the ground, paralized. Akira and the others rushed to her side.

"What a shame. You know, for a moment, I thought you had won. I actaually started to worry, but then I thought of a plan that would somehow break your spirit . . . which it did. I knew that someone close to you was bound to protect you from any lethal blow. While you were all preoccupied, I made my way to Mt. Hakurei and found the final piece." She paused a moment and let out another chuckle, "What shall you do now Izayoi? You only have a limited amount of time to get the last shard." She stared down at the group when more and more plans flooded her mind. She wanted to see them suffer more, "How about I make this easier on you, Izayoi? I'll stay here, at Mt. Hakurei. All you have to do is come here."

"What are you planning, witch?" growled Kouga. She only laughed and vanished, leaving the group with one common question. "What is she planning?"

**Crimzon: Well, there u have it. Sorry if it sucked, I did try. I promise that the next chapter will be awsome. I might update sometime between Monday and Thursday since I have school so yeah. Please read and review everyone!**


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